What If?
by The Spec
Summary: 5 girls (OC...I guess you could say) and their adventures in the Beyblade world. (Vague but true.) R&R please
1. People Arrive

Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to their respective owners as much as people wish it was not so.  
  
~*~  
  
The bus with all the teams pulled up to the cabin in which they had to stay in to cope with one another for sometime. They also had to cope with the owner of the cabin and her four friends. When they stepped out they found out that the cabin wasn't a cabin at all but a mansion. Only a select few got close to the demolition boys as they stood in the cool breeze looking at the mansion in front of them. They also had to keep Mariah and Emily as far away from each other as possible since they weren't the closest of friends. "So this is where your friend lives." Robert said to Mr. Dickinson who smiled. "Yes but as I warned you she also has four friends that stay with her. One might get on your nerves. You might get on another one's nerves. Just don't piss off their short friend and you should be just fine." Mr. Dickinson said again since they got on the bus.  
  
"Hello Mr. Dickinson, long time, no see." A platinum blonde hair girl said coming up. Her hair reached her shoulders and her blue/green eyes sparkled with happiness. She was white but had a light tan. Her clothes consisted of a black spaghetti strap tank top, blue cargos, and black boots. She was a good size height probably just a few inches shorter then Kai or Ray. She was skinny but not too skinny and her breasts were sort of small but not too small. All and all you'd probably consider her the normal looking American girl that you see on the streets of a city.  
  
"Taylor, how have you been? I'm so glad you could house these young men and women on such a short notice." Mr. Dickinson said motioning to the group.  
  
"Oh I don't mind. After all you are a friend of the family and my parents insisted that I help you out when they heard of your situation." Taylor said with a smile and led Mr. Dickinson and the others into the mansion. It was large and in the middle of the entranceway hanging from the ceiling a large probably really expensive chandler hung. Two staircases led up stairs to the second floor and all the wood seemed nicely polished. The walls seemed to match the color of the sea and there were to doors. There was one leading to a sitting room and another leading to a hall way to the rest of the house. Even the Majestics were in awe at how beautiful the placed looked. Their bags were in the main entranceway also and all in a category for their team. "If this is what she calls a cabin I'd hate to see what she calls a house." Kevin muttered to his teammates as they all looked around.  
  
"If you don't mind me asking but what is your name?" Enrique asked partly wanting to know who owned the house and partly wanting to hit on her.  
  
"I'll tell you my name when you tell me yours." She said smoothly as another girl walked by. She had dirty blonde curls that ended at her waist and blue eyes with a gold ring around them. She was dressed in a light blue tank top, a black short skirt, and black sandals. Her wiry body was tall and slightly tan and she had freckles on her cheeks. She too didn't have large breasts but then again she wasn't flat chested either. She was tall probably five eight maybe so she almost seemed like a giant compared to the other blonde. She stopped and looked at them before coming up to see whom they were.  
  
"My name is Enrique." Enrique said hoping that their host would tell him her name.  
  
"And my name is Oliver." Oliver said with a smile. "These are my friends Johnny and Robert." He said motioning to the other two.  
  
"My name is Max. These are my friends Tyson, Kenny, Ray, and Kai." Max said introducing the Blade breakers.  
  
"I am Tala. They are Ian, Brian, and Spencer." Tala said motioning to each one of his team members.  
  
"Hello I'm Emily. They are my friends Eddy, Steven, and Michael." Emily said happily motioning to her teammates and secretly hoping these two girls would become her friends before they became Mariah's.  
  
"I'm Lee; this is Kevin, Mariah, and Gary." Lee said motioning to the other members of his team.  
  
"My name is Taylor. I'm the owner of this house and this is Natalie a friend of mine." Taylor said motioning to the taller girl. "By the way where are the others?"  
  
"Rebecca is in the library, Samantha is in the gym practicing her dancing, and Melinda, I don't know where she got off to." Natalie said shaking her head.  
  
"Knowing her she's probably up to no good." Taylor said with a small sigh then smiled at the group. "Well I'm sure you'll meet them sooner or later. There is no use trying to track them down right now. So why don't we get you some rooms." She said and Mr. Dickinson went to the sitting room with Natalie as Taylor took them all on a small tour however they didn't run into any of the other girls at all. When they picked out their rooms which where in the same hallway for some reason they tried to stay close to their teams and as far away from the Demolition boys as they could. The demolition boys however didn't really care and just picked rooms at the end of the hall. Next to the demolition boys were the Blade breakers, then the white tigers, followed by the Majestics and the All Stars got the rooms closest to the main hallway. They all went down to the sitting room to talk with Mr. Dickinson and weren't surprised to see Taylor, Natalie, and a girl they weren't introduced to before. She had boy cut brown hair and dark brown eyes. She wore a green t-shirt with a v-neck and blue jeans that seemed a little tight on her. Sneakers were on her feet and she unlike the other two seemed to be a bookworm. She had a book in her arm as she spoke with the others. You could also tell she wasn't looked at that much and was as tall as Taylor maybe a little taller. After introductions they found out her name was Rebecca and she was a bookworm. After a while of talking, Rebecca stood up and left to go cook supper.  
  
"I don't really like Rebecca." Johnny said and Taylor smiled.  
  
"There are few that do." A voice behind them said and they turned around to find yet another of the five girls they'd be staying with. Her honey brown hair went to her shoulder and she had light blue almost icy blue eyes. She too was tall as tall as Rebecca to be exact. She was dressed in a white short sleeve shirt that ended just above her belly button that was pierced, kaki cargo shorts, and sandals. She was thin but big boned and there were a few freckles on her checks but that was it. Her skin was a pale ivory white that had just a little touch of tan to it.  
  
"And you are?" Kai asked looking her up and down again.  
  
"I'm Samantha. You don't have to introduce yourselves I already know your names." She said a little offhandedly but with a warm smile. "I actually came down to see if you seen Shadow anywhere? That little demon said she was going to the store five hours ago. What did she do fall asleep there or something?"  
  
"Well her bike is in the driveway so I'm sure she's not to far away from the garage." Natalie said and Samantha nodded her thank you and left.  
  
"I think we should put a tracer on her so we know where she is at all times if this keeps up." Taylor muttered sarcastically to herself as she watched Samantha leave.  
  
"Who's Shadow?" Ian asked having let his curiosity get the better of him.  
  
"Oh it's just Melinda. She's called by many names most of which her cousins give her." Natalie said as the sound of someone shouting in the kitchen could be heard. "And there she is."  
  
"In the kitchen stealing food as usual. How typical." Taylor said with a sigh rubbing her temples before standing up and walking off. They all followed her and when they got to the hallway to the kitchen they saw a girl sitting across legged on the other side of the hallway from the kitchen door. She looked to be in deep thought as she had her chin in her hand watching the kitchen door with a glazed look in her deep chestnut brown eyes. Her hair of golden browns, blacks, and chocolates was put into a braid that lay on the floor. She was dressed in a simple black t-shirt, baggy black cargo pocketed jeans, and black boots. Her dark tan skin was the color of a velvety milk chocolate and her body was slim. However on closer inspection they notice that she had some muscle. She seemed to look almost like a small child sitting there however her eyes seemed to shine with wisdom beyond her years. With a fast movement they soon found her brown eyes staring at them with an unnerving look that made some of the group fidget.  
  
"I didn't do it." She said to Taylor who then glared at her and crossed her arms. "Seriously."  
  
"That line has become so common it's more of an excuse now then a plead of innocence." Taylor informed her as she pouted slightly then stood up. She was short around five feet maybe a little taller but never the less she was short.  
  
"So, my legally midget friend, what did you do this time?" Samantha asked having come up since the screaming she heard in the kitchen.  
  
"Gee you just love to douse my morale don't you?" the girl who the others suspected to be Melinda said. "And for your information all I did was walk threw the kitchen. I don't see why she had to yell at me. It's not like I was going to get a snack or anything."  
  
"Right." Samantha said in disbelief.  
  
"Fine then don't believe me. You can go to hell for all I care." Melinda said then disappeared into the shadows. Later that night as they ate Melinda didn't show up and Rebecca seemed somewhat saddened by this.  
  
"I shouldn't have yelled at her like that." Rebecca said to herself but Taylor caught it.  
  
"Why is it you yelled at her?" Taylor asked since the others were wrapped up in their own conversations or eating.  
  
"She was walking threw the kitchen so naturally I thought she was going to steal some food. I yelled at her and she yelled back at me that she wasn't coming to dinner. Well she is a woman of her words." Rebecca said looking at the spot her normally bubbly friend occupied. "Do you think she knows about the reputations of the bladers that sit at our table?"  
  
"She does. I know she does yet she has just acted as normal as she could be." Taylor said as she looked at the people around the table. The Majestics ate as they were raised. Gary and Tyson seemed to know no end when it came to eating. While the others around the table had respectable table manners and didn't eat like they were starving to death. After dinner Tala was walking back to his room since they were aloud to roam around by themselves. He was just about to turn the corner when someone walking the opposite direction bumped into him, sending both of him and the other person to the floor.  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry I wasn't watching where I was going." The person said and he noticed it was none other then Melinda. She stood up and extended her hand, which he quickly brushed away and stood on his own.  
  
"I don't need help." He said coldly to her and she just smiled but she too had a cold exterior he could sense.  
  
"Then the next time I won't offer it." She said happily and walked off surprising Tala. He had never in countered someone like her before. She was different from any other person he met at the abbey. The others would just try to help the next time but she didn't even say she'd help him. Furthermore from the conversation he heard from Taylor and Rebecca at the table she was a person of her word.  
  
"She is puzzling don't you agree?" Tyson asked having seen what had just happened. "She didn't even allow your coldness faze her. She just goes on being happy."  
  
"She's like two different people, a young child and an old woman." Tala muttered before the two went their separate ways. However neither of them went the way Melinda had gone but if they had they would have found her standing against the wall with a sly smirk on her face. She was known as the Shadow Demon because of her way of finding out things almost as if she were your shadow following you around. She did however have split personalities and they were close to what Tala had said. On one side she was happy, innocent, and childish but on the other she was mysterious, apathetic, and somewhat malevolent. However she may act both of her egos shared two things in common. They were both cunning and fast talking almost hard to defeat in an argument. She went up the flight of stairs unseen by anyone and went down the west corridor her corridor to her room where she locked herself in away from the world. She looked around the dark pine, black and red decorated room till her eyes landed on a mirror that was full length and she went up to it seeing herself.  
  
"Don't do it." She said in a scared tone that sounded so innocent. "Don't harm them." She said then her face went dark and mischievous. "No." She said to her reflection. "Why not? They could earn our trust. They are strong and could be a great ally in the future. All we have to do is earn their trust." The shy scared voice said. "Well you're right they would make a strong ally in the future but then again. We don't know them." The mischievous one said. "Then we can get to know them." The shy one said who now talked from the reflection in the mirror as the mischievous one talked from Melinda's body. "Fine I won't harm them for now." Melinda said and went to her window looking out at the night sky from the balcony she stood on. She sat out there for a little while then went in only to go back out with an easel, canvass, and some pants. She then began to paint the night sky above a moonlit lake that was in a forest. Beyond the lake and forest was a mountain that rose high above the ground and seemed to nearly touch the moon.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Please comment good or bad and why, so the story can be altered (within reason) to please the majority. Many chapters have been written and I would like to know whether or not to spend time updating in this forum.  
  
Also a little help characterizing the story would be helpful 


	2. The Bet

Disclaimer: All non-original characters belong to their owners.  
  
~*~  
  
Taylor sighed as she and Natalie enjoyed their evening tea in the green house. She took another sip of her green tea as she looked at the moon threw the windows above. "Melinda will make another one of her beautiful pictures no doubt." She said with a smile.   
  
"I always love looking at what she creates. It's a way to get into her imagination and learn what she sees or what she has seen before we met." Natalie agreed when up came Oliver and smiled as he noticed the two young women.  
  
"I hope I'm not intruding or anything." He said and Taylor smiled motioning to one of the five empty chairs.  
  
"Why don't you join us?" She suggested and he happily accepted the offer and found a seat. Natalie gave him a cup of tea and allowed him to choose which extras he wanted. "So how do you like this place so far?"  
  
"It's beautiful and so full of life. The pictures on displayed threw out the house, however, are what really caught my eye. So much detail put into them and yet such easy artwork. Who may I ask made them?" He said as Natalie looked at the moon again.  
  
"Melinda did. She always paints during the nights. Especially when the moon is full and the clouds are nowhere to be found like to night. Her paintings are away of expressing her imagination. She also writes stories that can be found in the library. She so creative and so tactical it's no wonder she grew up in a family that worked for the army." Natalie said then looked at him.  
  
"She seems really nice. How come she wasn't at dinner?" He asked hoping he wasn't pushing his luck about learning about the mystery girl that roamed the halls like a quiet breeze over a meadow. You know it's there but cannot see it as it makes its way to a new place.  
  
"It seems that something happened between Rebecca and her and she said she wouldn't go to dinner. She was always known for keeping her word and this is one of those times. She may get into trouble but when she promises you something be assured she'll fulfill it at any cost. That's why she'll never promise to do something she knows she cannot do." Taylor informed the two as Kai and Robert came to join them. Taylor easily allowed them to come and join. They boys noticed that she was kindhearted and love to see people happy.  
  
"So where are your other friends?" Natalie asked not wanting to get into a beyblade conversation. She always thought there was more to life then just one thing.  
  
"Well, Johnny is playing chess with Rebecca and losing the last time I checked. Enrique was talking with Samantha and Michael." Robert said and he didn't have to tell them where Oliver was since he sat at the same table as them.  
  
"The last time I saw Max he was going off to bed. Tyson was in the sitting room talking with Gary about foods. Kenny if I recall correctly was in the library reading about beyblading while reviewing data with Emily." Kai said and the girls smiled.  
  
"So you seemed to be settling in quite nicely." Taylor said with a smile and looked back at the moon.  
  
"I was wondering why you choose to have your house so far away from cities. It's so peaceful around here that it seems untouched by man what so ever." Oliver said and the others nodded. After about a few more cups of tea they went their ways since it was time for bed. The next morning they all met downstairs in the kitchen. Melinda was sitting in her normal chair as happy as could be while juggling five apples. Taylor smiled at their shorter friend who tossed her an apple.  
  
"What are you doing?" Mariah asked out of curiosity looking at the shorter girl.  
  
"Juggling." Melinda replied but Mariah seemed a bit confused.  
  
"Why?" Emily asked as the others sat down for breakfast even Tyson.  
  
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Melinda replied tossing an apple up only for Natalie to catch it as she walked by. "It also cures boredom."  
  
"Aye the wise words of the legal midget." Samantha said as she came in and was nearly beamed in the head with an apple. However she just barely caught it and Rebecca caught her own apple as it was tossed up for her. Melinda just ate hers as she waited for breakfast.  
  
"Why do you call her that?" Lee asked as Melinda made funny faces behind Samantha's back. The others had to try their hardest not to laugh as they watch Melinda mock Samantha as the taller girl explained. Breakfast came and went and soon they all found themselves in the sitting room with nothing to do really. Melinda looked around the group, as they seemed as bored as could be and stood up leaving and getting something ready. She came back in with a small smirk on her face that read 'I-am-going-to-have- some-fun-with-this' and her friends looked at her suspiciously.  
  
"Hi." She said to them with her hands behind her back.  
  
"Melinda Waite what are you up to?" Samantha asked with her arms crossed. She knew that whenever Melinda was bored something was bound to happen that's why no matter what she made extra sure she wore a swimsuit under her clothes.  
  
"Nothing." Melinda said innocently as she backed out of the room. 'This is perfect now all I have to do is get her out into the yard then wham she's soaked. But first since it is a hot day I think the others should join us.' Melinda thought and tried to figure out a way to get the others out.  
  
"Bullshit I know you're up to something." Samantha said and the others just out of curiosity followed her on her trek to get Melinda. They watched as she slowly made her way towards the door then with a sly smile left. They all wanted to know what was up and followed. Luckily Taylor had warned them it was best to wear a swimsuit at all times when Melinda was concerned because as soon as they got into the yard they were bombed with water balloons. Most of them dodged them but a few got soaked. Soon everyone even the demolition boys, Kai, and Robert were in a water fight that lasted all afternoon and stopped as the sun was about to go down.  
  
"That was fun." Melinda said happily ringing out her braid that was as long as her ankles. She had a smile that seemed to be glowing with happiness and the others didn't disagree with her about the fun part. They all saw the boys with hair that was normally sticking up with their hair down and around their faces.  
  
"I swear you remind me more and more of a fox everyday." Samantha said rustling her shorter friend's hair. "How anyone could pull this water fight off with only a few minutes planning is beyond me."  
  
"It was simple just took sometime to find all the water balloons and fill them up." Melinda said as they went in and got dressed into some dry clothes. The boys all sat around the library after getting dressed and wondered what there was to do. Tala read some Russian writings since he had nothing to do. Johnny and Robert played chess. Tyson and Max were talking with Kenny about beyblading. Kai and the rest of the demolition boys where reading newspapers, and the All Star boys found sports magazines to read. The white tigers just talked amongst themselves. Melinda walked and looked at a certain shelf looking for something. She seemed to be in deep thought and they just half watched her. She smiled and pulled out a large book and began to walk out but stopped and looked at Johnny and Robert's game. "Whose turn is it?" She asked looking at the board.  
  
"Johnny's." Robert said as she looked at the pieces.  
  
"Can I make a suggestion?" She asked looking at Johnny who was just about to give up saying it was a lost cause.  
  
"You can make a move I don't care." Johnny said and Melinda picked up one of his bishops and took Robert's queen.  
  
"Checkmate." She said happily and walked off leaving the boys stunned because it was indeed a checkmate. Samantha came in and she to got a book but sat down on the ladder that was there and looked threw it. She knew what Melinda did but just left it to the boys' thoughts secretly amused by the whole thing. She looked threw the book quickly as if on a mission to find something then with her finger in the book she stood to leave but noticed a few pairs of eyes were on her.  
  
"When's dinner?" Tyson asked as she thought.  
  
"I don't know." She then said with a shrug and went to the door. Only to quickly move out of the way to let Natalie to rush in. She watched Natalie for a few minutes before shaking her head and leaving. Natalie was looking at the books with remarkable speed. Some of them guessed she wasn't even reading the titles of the books. She pulled out two books and went across the room before getting more. After her hands were full she left the room.  
  
"That was strange." Oliver said looking up from his cookbook and Enrique nodded since he was just sitting there thinking.  
  
"All five of them seem to be strange girls." Lee said as he tried to compare them with Mariah in his mind but couldn't.  
  
"They all have their quirks." Michael said as he looked threw the magazine he found for the tenth time. "I wonder which one of them is responsible for all the hunting magazines they own."  
  
"I don't think it would be Natalie or Samantha." Ray said as he thought about how the girls acted. They had wanted nothing to do with hunting or sports at all they seemed rather peaceful people that wouldn't harm a fly.  
  
"Maybe Rebecca or Melinda. We don't know much about them besides Melinda is a quick thinker and Rebecca is a bookworm." Kevin suggested as the guys thought it over.  
  
"Possibly but I think there are more chances Melinda would be the reason. I don't see Rebecca as the hunting type." Tala said then shrugged and went back to his book.  
  
"Well since you are apart of the evilest beyblading team we'll say that you're probably right." Tyson muttered and few of them laughed as Tala rolled his eyes. Just then Melinda came in with a look in her eyes that said that she was on a mission. "Hi Melinda."  
  
"Oh hi." Melinda said coming back to earth then went over to a trunk and opened it. She began to look threw it as Samantha came in to wait for her. "I know I put it in here somewhere." Melinda said as she took out a very nice looking short sword and carefully placed it to the side. Next came two sets of daggers that seemed to be in perfect condition. Following those was throwing stars and knives. This was followed by a bow that was made out of a very nice looking wood. She then stopped and pulled out a long sword. "I was looking for that." She muttered to herself then shrugged setting it aside. The guys however watched as Samantha's glare at Melinda's back became colder and colder. "Ah-HA!" Melinda said nearly giving everyone a heart attack. She pulled out a bag and tossed it to Samantha. "There you go Sam. Have fun painting your room." She said and put away everything but the long sword. She walked out after locking the trunk and Samantha followed her.  
  
"I think that might prove our theory." Enrique said and the boys nodded remembering all the things that Melinda and pulled from the trunk. Later that evening when dinner was served they saw Melinda was sitting in her chair cross-legged and her mind was elsewhere. She ate almost as if she were a robot. Pick up food with fork, put food in mouth, chew, swallow, and then repeat. Taylor and the other three girls didn't seem to mind though. They just went about things as normal giving Melinda her space and not pestering her. After dinner Mariah was walking in the halls when she heard the sound of two people in the gym. She was soon joined by the boys who seemed to have reached an understanding unlike her and Emily, also for some reason the other girls didn't want them near. They went into the gym to find Melinda and Taylor fencing as the other girls and Emily watched.  
  
"I didn't know Melinda was left handed." Kenny said as the came up and Natalie smirked.  
  
"Naturally, she's not, that's why she hasn't won as fast as she normally does." Natalie informed him and they looked at the two. Melinda seemed different she seemed more focused but threw her helmet they could see her smirk. Taylor was trying her best to not get to defensive but at the same time block all of Melinda's attacks.  
  
"So I take it Melinda is the better of the two at this sport." Johnny said and Rebecca nodded.  
  
"She dominates any sport that has to deal with fighting. Her cousins were the ones that trained her." Rebecca said and thought about the group that was Melinda's cousins.  
  
"Yes and it doesn't help fighting has always come natural to her. Just like dancing comes naturally to me, or Becky and her, reading skills, or Natalie and her drawing skills." Samantha said as all of a sudden the sound of metal clanking on the floor caught their attention. Mel stood there her sword threw Taylor's mask and Taylor stood there a little stunned while looking at her sword. The blade was swept clearly off of her hilt. Mel withdrew her sword from Taylor's helmet and looked at the blade that had been cut off and sent five feet away from where they stood. It was quiet funny how the seen looked if you had gotten over the shock. There they others stood jaws dropped, Melinda was dressed like normal with a fencing helmet on, Taylor was also dressed like normal with a fencing helmet on. The two were standing in front one another Melinda with her blade unconsciously to Taylor's neck. Taylor looked down the blade to Melinda's steady hand then to the shorter girl's masked face. Her eyes held no emotion, no happiness, and no slyness. The only thing Taylor could see was apathy on Melinda's face. She knew the blade was a few inches away from her throat but the cold chill the metal gave off was still there she could feel it. Then she watched a smirk appear on Melinda's face that read 'Checkmate'. With that Melinda lowered her sword to her side and took off her helmet.  
  
"Let's get some ice-cream." She said happily and Taylor had to smile. She took off her helmet and nodded knowing that she'd have a bruise where Melinda's sword barely missed grazing her face. Melinda put up her sword and the two walked out happily chatting as the crowd soon departed ways. In the kitchen Taylor and Melinda ate some ice cream while laughing and joking about different things.  
  
"Hey are you sure you're alright?" Melinda asked her face went from happy to concerned as she looked at Taylor.  
  
"Yeah. Don't worry the worst thing that I'll have is a bruise." Taylor said and Melinda smiled and nodded. "So how do you like the others being here?"  
  
"I don't really notice. You know me, I'm not the people person, that's your job." Melinda said sheepishly while smiling.  
  
"And yet you draw so many people to you it's funny." Taylor said and they both laughed as Max came in.  
  
"Hey guys." He said happily and Melinda quieted a little. If he didn't know better he'd say she was somewhat shy.  
  
"Hi what brings you in here?" Melinda said although she was somewhat unconfident when talking with people she didn't let it show.  
  
"Well two things." Max said sitting down next to her and Taylor handed him some ice cream, which he happily accepted.  
  
"What's that?" Taylor asked sitting down in front of them.  
  
"Why ice cream and laughter of course." He said and they all had to laugh. Taylor shook her head then smiled.  
  
"You know if I wasn't mistaken I'd think Mel said that." She said and the shorter girl faked an offended gasp and look.  
  
"Why I never." She said and the two others laughed at Melinda's act. "Well I guess I am a bit of a jokester ain't I."  
  
"A bit is an understatement." Rebecca said as she walked in to get a small snack.  
  
"Your just jealous that I get more attention the you do without even trying." Melinda said and Rebecca sent her a glare that went unfazed.  
  
"You're just overrating yourself. The only reason people like you is because they know you'd stand up for them in a fight." Rebecca said but regretted it because she saw the gears in Melinda's head start to work.  
  
"Hey Max? Out of the entire group of people here who do you say is the hardest to become friends with?" Melinda asked and Max thought as Taylor already figured out the shorter girl's plan.  
  
"Well getting even within a foot radius of Kai, the demolition boys, or a mad Johnny is suicide. Come to think of it they are probably the hardest people in the world to become friends with." Max said then realized his mistake of telling her as her happy smile turned into a malevolent smirk. She looked at Rebecca and the girl just froze on the spot. 'Who wouldn't Melinda with that look on her face was probably the scariest thing close to what the Demolition boys.' Max thought as he looked at Rebecca who was trying not to let the look get to her.  
  
"You hear that? How about we play a game?" Melinda said and Rebecca sat down.  
  
"Depends. What type of game? What's the reward and what are the rules?" Rebecca asked although she wasn't as mischievous as Melinda she wouldn't back down from a challenge.  
  
"Well it's simple. The first to befriend all of the guys Max mentioned wins. The loser will have to be the winner's servant for two months." Melinda said and Taylor looked at Max with an 'I think we're the judges' look of despair and Max nodded.  
  
"Three months." Rebecca said and Melinda knew it was time to gamble a little.  
  
"Fine a year." She suggested and Rebecca thought it over.  
  
"Two and three fourths." She then suggested.  
  
"Two years."  
  
"Two and a half months."  
  
"Three years."  
  
"Two and one forth months."  
  
"Four years."  
  
"Alright two months." Rebecca said knowing Melinda would probably have her doing the nastiest chores imaginable if she lost.  
  
"Fine two months." Melinda said and smirked. "Taylor and Max will you keep score?" She asked innocently and the two thought it over.  
  
"Do we have a choice?" The two asked and sighed when Melinda shook her head no.  
  
"Fine." was their answer.  
  
"We begin tomorrow." Rebecca said and extended her hand.  
  
"May the best woman win." Melinda said happily and shook Rebecca's hand. 


	3. Mel flirting? Has the world come to an ...

Disclamer: All characters belong to their owners.  
  
Note: This is my friend's story, although I have become a coauthor in the story. I'm just the ideas person. .  
  
This chapter is dedicated to F.A. Star Hawk, as she is the only reviewer thus far.  
  
Now enough is enough and on with the story  
  
~*~  
  
The next day Samantha already heard from Natalie what was going on between Melinda and Rebecca and how Max and Taylor got into it. She knew it all, even every word that were said. She was sworn to secrecy and she wasn't about to break that. She knew just how deadly Melinda's temper could get. "Johnny." She heard and turned the corner to find Melinda holding onto the end of her braid with one hand and trying to get the hair tie Johnny held over he's head with the other. "Johnny." Melinda whined again jumping a little to try and get her hair tie back. Samantha also saw that Kai and the Demolition boys were there also. 'How she pulls this off I never know but I sure as hell want to learn.' Samantha thought hiding form view a trick she learned from Melinda when they first met. "Give it back." Melinda whined again but the red head just smirked, as did the other boys.  
  
"No." He said and she crossed her arms sending him her warm glare, as the girls knew it. It wasn't like a bloodthirsty icy glare she would normally give someone if they took something of hers.  
  
"Fine, keep the stupid hair tie. What do I care? Why do guys have to be so damn immature?" Melinda said then was about to walk off when Kai handed it to her. She looked at it then looked at him in the eyes with her warm glare that had slightly chilled but not much.  
  
"Don't you want it back?" He asked and the other boys waited. They had been actually playing a game with her that she somehow started and was about to walk away from.  
  
"Like I said, keep the stupid hair tie." She said her voice edged with ice that the boys easily welcomed since that's what they were used to. 'Great Mel now you're beginning to flirt with them.' She mentally scolded herself. She stood there for a few seconds before turning and was about to leave when there stood Spencer in her way. 'God can't they see I don't want to play this game anymore?' She asked herself mentally then looked around as they guys found spots to stop her from going anywhere. She pulled a hair tie off her wrist that wasn't as good as the other one but would work for now. After retying up her hair she looked around to find a way to escape the two walls of guys that blocked her way. She then noticed the space between them and the ceiling. 'The only way I guess is up and Spencer is blocking the way I want to go. Grr why is life so hard?' She asked then filed that question to ponder later. The boys waited for her to make her move since she stood there her hair still in her hand but tied. 'I wonder what she's thinking?' Kai asked himself mentally while standing next to Spencer. On the other side of the tall boy was Tala who watched her intensely. 'Why are we even playing around with her like this?' He then wondered since it was out of their characters to do so. He however went back to watching her as she stood there with just a small smile on her face but her eyes held nothing. Not one emotion or one path to see what she was thinking. However her eyes were looking straight ahead to Spencer who seemed to be getting slightly nervous under her dull gaze. None of the others could blame him she was kind of scary. 'But that's what I like about her.' Kai, Tala, and Johnny thought then mentally did a double take to think over what they just thought. "Well." She said coldly crossing her arms then looking at the guys around her. Johnny, Bryan, and Ian to her back, Spencer, Tala, and Kai a head of her. They gave her four feet between her and them. 'Just enough.' She thought and quickly moved back and as predicted the ones in front of her seemed to want to chase after her but stopped crouching a little. She took that time to run straight ahead and jump doing an elegant flip over Spencer and landing on the other side of him still facing the direction she had been. The boys where all openly shocked and looked at her as she began to walk away. She let out a slight giggle but it felt like ice cut threw them. "That was amusing." She said looking back at them for a second and then walking off. She walked off and went to her corridor only to find Samantha leaning against the wall next to her door with an amused smile on her face. (1)  
  
"Flirting with them where you?" She asked as the two of them entered Melinda's room. Samantha had been in this room before. Most of the time it was to talk to Melinda and let her emotions out. Even if Melinda was somewhat cold on the outside she was compassionate and was always there to listen to someone's problems.  
  
"I was not flirting." Melinda said in a normal tone. She didn't blush although the little girl in her head did. However she like always kept her emotions in check.  
  
"Oh, and what were you doing, may I ask?" Samantha asked as she walked out to join her shorter friend on the balcony. Melinda was sitting as usual on the railing and Samantha went up to lean on it next to her. She looked out to the beautiful sight of the gardens below that Melinda surprisingly took great care of.  
  
"Just playing a game." Melinda answered as the wind blew at her hair. "Now stop acting like my mother."  
  
"Just checking." Samantha said with a smile. "I know about your little game with Becky."  
  
"Oh do you now?" Melinda asked her voice somewhat happy. "And who told you?"  
  
"Natalie." Samantha said and Melinda nodded. "Hey when did you make this one?" Samantha asked motioning to the painting by the entrance to the balcony.  
  
"Two days ago why?" Melinda asked and Samantha smiled.   
  
"I didn't see it before so I was just curious. Are you going to give it to anyone special?" Samantha asked as an idea ran threw her head.  
  
"Naw. I thought of just hanging it in the hallway with all the others." Melinda said going back into her room and sitting down in her desk chair.  
  
"Can I have it to hang it up somewhere?" Samantha asked and Melinda looked at her suspiciously.  
  
"Yea but I didn't sign it yet." Melinda said and Samantha picked up the marker and handed it to Melinda who signed it.  
  
"Thanks oh and good luck in your little game." Samantha said taking the picture that was done and left. She got a frame for it and smiled as she looked at the picture. It was beautiful and Melinda's name was almost camouflaged in it. She took it to the hallway the bladers where staying in a put it up on the wall. She was right it fit the hallway perfectly and she knew what the insides of each room looked like, so it was perfect. Johnny was walking into the hallway and stopped next to her looking at the picture. Oliver also came up and looked at the picture in complete awe.  
  
"Who made that one?" Oliver asked as Johnny looked at the colors and design.  
  
"Mel as usual." Samantha said then smiled. "It's almost as if she was trying to put her two sides into the picture. Her dark side that is full of hatred for some reason, and her light side that is so full of life and beauty."  
  
"What do you mean she has a side to her that is full of hatred?" Johnny asked as the other cold-hearted boys listened in.  
  
"Well she doesn't talk much about anything really. All she's ever said about her past before we knew her was she was trained by her cousins in the fighting arts and she always used to move around a lot. It's such a touchy subject for her to talk about. She either gets angry or she won't answer at all." Samantha said then sighed. "I've given up trying to talk to her about it two years after we met."  
  
"When was that?" Oliver asked since it got him thinking about what might be the causes of her hatred.  
  
"Six years ago which would make me around nine when we met." Samantha said and sighed. "Even then she was ruthless like she can be now. Sometimes I wonder how she became that way but I always end up with one question. Do I really know her?"  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Max said having come up a little while ago.  
  
"She hardly ever talked and when she did she always had something sarcastic to say. I think the only time she talked without sarcasm was when I was with her to see her cousins five years ago. However she only talked when they gave her permission to." Samantha said then sighed. "She's just a lost case. I bet no one could ever get past all the barriers she has set up over the years." She said and with that she left feeling down that she was talking behind her best friend's back.  
  
~*~  
  
1. Kitty wrote this. She's my friend's cousin. My friend complained for days about it but we won out and it stayed in, much to our amusement. 


	4. Serenity

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their owners.  
  
This one is out to all the people who read and don't review. Reviews are not an accurate way to tell how popular a story is. I don't even review half the stories I like. But reviews are APPRECIATED, as well as questions, comments, and concerns, either by review or e-mail or IM.  
  
FYI: I do not watch or have any interest in Beyblade. All I know is what I am told.  
  
~*~  
  
"What's so disturbing in her past that she doesn't want to talk about it?" Oliver asked as all the boys sat around Bryan's room since the girls wouldn't go near it for fear of the Russian.  
  
"I don't think it is right to meddle in her past." Lee said and Tala gave him a look that read 'And yet you meddle in mine'.  
  
"Well how do we go about finding about her past when we don't know where to start?" Tyson asked ignoring Lee.  
  
"Find out her social security number." Eddy supplied since this was after all America.  
  
"Yea what good would that do?" Kevin asked knowing about the American government.  
  
"Quiet a lot. If we know her social security number we have access to her traveling history, credit history, and medical history." Steven said and Michael agreed.  
  
"And that helps us how?" Tyson asked and the demolition boys rolled their eyes.  
  
"How an idiot like you became world champion of Beyblading is beyond me." Tala muttered. "It allows us a free access to her birth certificate, and any medical injuries she's had in the past."  
  
~*~  
  
Melinda growled in anger as she walked threw the halls. 'Why must I find the boys and inform them that Natalie's little cousin will be dropped off and we have to take care of her?' She thought angrily only for her anger to rise even more. 'I hate babies.' She thought but another thought went threw her head and she stopped. She took a slow shaky breath and used the wall for support. For some reason the old memory she just had made her feel weak and helpless. 'No, that's all in the past. Get over it.' She scolded herself and began to look for them again. She then closed her eyes and listened for a while. Some air displacement in Brian's room caught her attention and she went to it since she found herself in the bladers' hallway. She got there and gave a swift knock that didn't sound to loud so she wasn't sure he heard her.  
  
"Who is it?" Bryan's cold voice asked and she smirked. 'Well maybe he did hear me.' Melinda thought making sure her voice wouldn't give away the emotion of sadness going threw her.  
  
"Melinda. Do you know where they other guys are?" She said to the door her voice held a lively sound of happiness, which made her smile.  
  
"No why?" His voice reached her ears.  
  
"Because I just wanted to tell you that Natalie's baby cousin is coming to stay here for a while. Unfortunately all of us have to take care of the little brat." Melinda said knowing if Samantha ever caught her calling Natalie's cousin a brat she would see to it Melinda was beat to a bloody pulp.  
  
"Okay." He said and she smiled walking off and making sure her footsteps were a little better to hear then they normally were.  
  
Bryan and the other boys sighed having not been caught but that's when what Melinda said really sunk in. "What?" Was all they could say in shock and went to find some truth. Unfortunately Natalie confirmed what Melinda said was true and they guys now had to deal with a baby in the house.   
  
"Great." Tyson said then thought about little kids. "I was never good with little kids."  
  
"Well I'm sure your better then Mel. With just a glance at them they cry for their mothers." Samantha said and there was Melinda caring a large pile of cloth.  
  
"HEY! I resent that!" She yelled at her taller friend her voice cold heartless and sharp. She growled angrily at Samantha then tossed all the cloth at Samantha who fell down because of the sudden weight. "That's only when I'm mad." She said crossing her arms and walking off. The two girls just sighed knowing Melinda went off to find something to do other then harm anyone.  
  
"She most likely is in the gym by now training." Natalie said to herself. "My cousin will be here in an hour." She informed them then left. Kenny was working on finding out Melinda's social security number and the other boys were all in the library when Lee heard the sound of a beyblade sound threw the house. The teams went to find where the sound was coming from and soon found themselves at a door that led to a sub gym that didn't seemed to be used by the girls that often. When they entered they found themselves on a balcony over looking a room with at least ten large beydishes and a few small ones. Just then Taylor and Natalie came out onto the balcony and looked down to find Melinda and Samantha battling.  
  
"How are you?" Taylor asked coming up to them.  
  
"Fine. How come you never told us you had this place?" Tyson asked looking around in amazement. Just then a large gust of wind blew them close to the wall since they were all caught of guard. They looked down to find Samantha sitting on the floor rubbing her head with her red and gray blade by her feet. She was five feet away from the dish and Melinda just stood there not having moved form her spot. Her black, silver, and gray blade was spinning in the middle of the dish. She caught her blade with a smirk but they saw the coldness and apathy in her eyes. Samantha stood up and looked at her in the eyes but smiled.  
  
"Well to answer your question. You didn't ask." Rebecca said as she stood up. "Come on, why don't we go down there?" She said with a smile and took them down the stairs.  
  
"And that's the reason why you should practice." Melinda seemed to conclude about talking about something. She was helping Samantha to her feet while saying this. The two then began to laugh and Samantha almost fell down on the ground again. "Care for a rematch?"  
  
"No you're way out of my skill level." Samantha said knowing all to well that Melinda would defeat her. "Besides it'll be more fun to practice, get stronger, and then try to defeat you again." She said and a few of the bladers wanted to know just how strong a blader Melinda was. Just then the doorbell rang and they all went to the sitting room as Taylor got the door. In came Taylor with a young couple and a little child maybe around a year at most.  
  
"Auntie." Natalie said hugging the woman. She also hugged the man and looked at the young child.  
  
"This is Serenity. I hope you take good care of her and good luck. She can be a little devil at times." Natalie's Uncle said and then the couple left. The group all looked at each other but Samantha seemed to enjoy taking on the task of taking care of Serenity. The first several days went fine but soon Samantha couldn't take it anymore and all but the anti-social boys, Johnny, and Melinda were up.  
  
"Can someone shut that kid up?" Johnny growled and the boys sat around the library. Samantha was supposed to take care of the baby but she was fast asleep in a chair. Even Max was worn out from taking care of Serenity.  
  
"Don't look at me I never took care of a kid before?" Kai, Tala, Brian, Ian, Spencer, and Lee said at the same time.  
  
"Melinda?" Johnny asked and Melinda looked at the kid with apathy on her face. They noticed that her hands flexed as she sat in an armchair. "Can you shut it up before I strangle it?" He asked his eyes flashing with anger. She growled and stood up going up to it and picked it up. Serenity quieted as soon as Melinda picked her up. Melinda sat down back in her chair and Serenity curled up against her. "But how?"  
  
"Shh. She's asleep." Melinda said quietly looking down at the child in her arms. They just sat around like that until.  
  
"WAAHHH!" Little Serenity wailed as she cried in Melinda's arms. Her sudden outburst made a few of the boys jump, but Melinda seemed not to be taken by surprise. She sighed and stood up with the little girl in her arms. She went over to Kai the one of the only ones not to jump.  
  
"Can you hold her while I get her, her bottle?" She asked and showed him how to hold the young child. Soon the boys and Melinda would take care of the young girl when the others were whipped out. They kept it a secret as to not allow the others to know that there was a soft side to the guys. When the day came for the young child to leave the small group of back-ups where happy. "Yay! No more noise." Melinda said stretching as they all stood outside watching the car with Serenity leave. The boys that helped her smiled also happy to get rid of Serenity.  
  
"We know you eight took care of Serenity. I wish we only had pictures." Tyson said with a smile. Since they were all asleep they didn't know about all the funny stories that came form the baby's stay. Melinda's smile widened and she started to giggle. "What?" He asked as she pulled out a white square and turned like a deck of cards she fanned them. When she turned them over they could make out pictures of Serenity there were seven of them.  
  
"Blackmail." She said then put them back into her pocket.  
  
"Hey give us those." The seven boys coursed and Melinda smile widen as her eyes all of a sudden had an evil edge to them.  
  
"No I think I'll hang on to them for a while." She said then walked off laughing.  
  
"Melinda you're evil." Ian said before she disappeared. She turned around to look at him.  
  
"It took you this long to notice? You're slower then I thought." She said them shrugged before going inside.  
  
"Don't think we're off her blackmail list either." Rebecca said to the other teens. "I have a feeling that she also has something on us. Well more on me and the other three girls but that doesn't mean she left you out." She said and the other teens nodded.  
  
"Don't you have anything on her?" Emily asked not really liking the fact that probably now Melinda had all she needed to get her to do something.  
  
"No. Whenever we get something on her she somehow finds away around it." Natalie said with a slight growl. 


	5. The Mall

Disclaimer: All characters belong to their owners.  
  
There are 14 chapters written that are in my hands so to speak. It's just a matter of posting them. Not all at once mind you. Feel free to yell if I'm taking to long to update.  
  
~*~  
  
Kai sighed all the others had went to the mall that is everyone except Melinda. She was sitting across from him reading. They were in the library the one room that seemed to be the busiest. He didn't know what she was reading since she was there before he entered the room. It had been two weeks form when Serenity left and she still had those pictures.  
  
"Why?" He asked out loud.   
  
"Pardon?" She asked looking up at him. Her eyes looked at him with a questioning shine to them.  
  
"Why do you keep those pictures?" He asked looking at her in the eye.  
  
"Just something to have in case I'm in a little jam. Would you do anything if I said I would post the picture of you changing Serenity's diaper all over the Internet?" She asked with a small smile.  
  
"No." He said as he thought. Then he noticed she had gone back to her book. "What are you reading?"  
  
"Nothing really just something on the theory of meditation. I can write fiction but I don't really like reading it." She said and then handed him a notebook on the side table next to her. He opened the book and found a short story written in neat cursive. He read it getting lost in the story then when it came to the end the story just dropped with no real end to it.  
  
"Where is the rest of it?" He asked looking up at her smile.  
  
"In here." She said pointing to his head. "You can come up with an end since there is no real end to it. To tell you the truth I ended it because I had writers block. It sounded perfect like that and I don't think I'll ever change it." She said with a shrug and closing the now finished book. She stretched and yawned before standing up and put away the book. "So." She said as he looked at the notebook.  
  
"Can I keep this until I read all the stories in it?" He asked and she smiled with a nod.  
  
"Sure I have another one with the current stories I'm writing." She said then sat down. "Knowing the other girls we won't see them for hours." She said and he chuckled.  
  
"It's surprising that you're their friend." He said and she had to laugh with him.  
  
"Naw I'm not really their friend more of an acquaintance." She said as she sunk deeper into her chair. "We met when they asked if I could help them train. So here I am."  
  
"You came by choice?" Kai asked with an eyebrow raised.  
  
"Yea. Did you see their training zone?" Melinda asked with a smile. "Speaking of which want to see how we stack up to each other in the beydish?" She asked and they went to find out which of the two were better.  
  
~*Meanwhile at the mall*~  
  
"Don't you think we've gone to enough clothing stores?" Kevin asked as three of the four girls they were staying with went into yet another clothing stores.  
  
"They'll be going like this for hours." Rebecca said sitting down on a bench. "I wonder where the closest book store is. I want to see if they have that book I want to get and we don't have at the library at home."   
  
"The next bookstore is a few stores down next to the candy store." Robert said looking at the map of the mall.  
  
"Candy store? Did you say Cccccaaaannnnndddddyyy Sssstttttoooooorrrrrrreeeee?" Max asked then a large smile stretched across his face and he took off in the direction Robert had pointed.  
  
"Save us god please." Ray said and they all left the three girls in the clothing store to go after Max.  
  
"You just had to say candy store didn't you?" Lee asked knowing what happens when Max is sugar high. "He doesn't need sugar or caffeine. He's already naturally sugar high as it is." They watched as he went into the candy store but Rebecca went into the bookstore to get her book. Once she entered however she ran into a man.  
  
"Sorry." She made her quick apology before going off to find the book she wanted to read. Once she found it she noticed that the man she ran into was watching her out of the corner of his eye. She just shrugged it off and went on her way. While at the register she noticed that another man standing off to the side was also watching her and then she realized it. The two were none other then two of Melinda's cousins.  
  
"Will that be all Rebecca?" The clerk asked and she looked at him finding that he too was another one of the some three hundred odd relatives Melinda was related to.  
  
"Yes." Rebecca said also seeing that out in the hall the group was trying to keep Max away from the candy store without making too much of a scene.  
  
"Are you sure? We offer costumers a membership. Would you like to join?" The clerk asked. He was out of the three the oldest. He wasn't that tall but not that short, he had black porcupine hair (you know it's really short and sticks up), and like the other ones looked Native American. Dressed in a simple white t-shirt and blue jeans with his nametag on, he smiled his brown eyes showing nothing but happiness.  
  
"No, by the way your nametag says 'Stupid Dan'." Rebecca informed him and he looked at it. She took this time to leave the store and to go sit on a bench while watching the group either act like they didn't know Max and the ones keeping him away from the candy store or were the ones that were trying to keep him away.  
  
"This is so uncouth." Robert said as he sat near her.  
  
"I don't know I think it's a fun sight to watch." Johnny said from where he was leaning against the railing of the second floor walkway. Just then the three girls came up carrying some bags. They went over to Enrique who was sitting a few feet away from Rebecca.  
  
"Enrique-poo." Samantha said sitting in his lap making him beam with happiness.  
  
"What is it?" He asked as Rebecca had to stifle a laugh and Robert and Johnny rolled their eyes.  
  
"Can you buy me some more clothes? Taylor is being mean and won't give me anymore money." Samantha said with her arms around Enrique. Just then a laugh caught their attention and there was Melinda and Kai walking up eating ice cream. "Hey! I thought you two didn't want to come. Why did you change your minds?" (A/N: Mel: My ice cream is mint chocolate chip, his ice cream vanilla)  
  
"Kai didn't want to get beaten by me for a tenth time in a row." Melinda said then stopped and looked around suspiciously.  
  
"O'Drama what is it?" Rebecca asked and Melinda shushed her.  
  
"Quiet. They're here. I don't want them to know I'm here." Melinda said and the guys looked at her as if she were crazy.  
  
"Who Mele Mel Melz?" Samantha asked and Melinda shushed her as well.  
  
"My-" Melinda said but someone coming up and hugging her stopped her sentence.  
  
"Shadow how've you been? It's been a long time cuz." The man Rebecca ran into said. He was like Dan the register man but he was taller. He had broad shoulders and just had a blue t-shirt, black jeans, and sneakers on. "Oh ice cream." He said and took Melinda's ice cream. "Thanks."  
  
"Jesse." Melinda growled while glaring at him. He just at her ice cream happily, not paying attention to her as he used her head as an armrest. "Gr. ICE CREAM STEALER!!" Melinda shouted at him and Max stopped and looked at her. "Give it back or I'll, I'll, I'll gnaw your arm off." She threatened and he just chuckled and patted her on the head.   
  
"I know you wouldn't do that to your favorite cousin." He said but he had to clench his teeth as she jumped up and grabbed onto his arm only to gnaw on his arm. "Hey off!" He said trying to shake her off but it was no use. (A/N: Mel: I've done this before. Actually it was on the last trip to see them. Jesse: yes and your teeth hurt)  
  
"Louise, just give her back her ice cream." The last cousin said coming out of the bookstore. He was shorter of the three and looked like Dan with a mustache. He also looked a little high. He was dressed in a simple gray t- shirt, blue jeans, and some nice sneakers. The others around them just looked on as if they were crazy, which was probably true.  
  
"First get her off." Jesse said shaking his arm some more only for Melinda's grip to tighten.  
  
"Demon off." The last (which is unnamed at the moment) cousin said and Melinda listened to him. She dropped off of her cousin's arm that was now a wonderful shade of red. "Now give her back her ice cream." He said and Melinda waited for her prized treat.  
  
"But Steve." Jesse whined slightly then got a glare from the other man. He unwillingly gave up the ice cream and handed it back to Melinda who took it happily and began to enjoy the sweet cold treat again. Just then a laugh caught ever one's attention and they found Dan standing in the doorway of the bookstore laughing.  
  
"You should get that checked. You don't know what diseases she may carry." He said in between laughs. Just then Taylor, Rebecca, and a few of the boys began to laugh.  
  
"Oh shut up." Melinda said then a sly smirk appeared on her face. "Stupid Dan." She said making Dan shut up right away. Soon laughter and smirks were coming from the group.  
  
"Don't call me that." Dan said going up to her. He may not have been that tall but he easily stood looking down at the innocent looking cousin that that was eating ice cream.  
  
"What?" She asked as she began to finish her ice cream. "Stupid Dan?"  
  
"Yes that."  
  
"Well." She said throwing away her napkin that she was using to hold her ice cream. "Stupid Dan, Stupid Dan, Stupid Dan." She said with a crafty smile then dodged a whack on the head. "Buh-bye now." She said leaving, one ticked off cousin, one laughing cousin, and one cousin that was nursing his sore arm. The group caught up with her as she went to the other end of the mall.  
  
"Those were your cousins?" Oliver asked looking back in the direction the three cousins where.  
  
"Well three of them anyway." Melinda said with a shrug and a smile. "They're a lot better then some of my female cousins. Eesh." She said with a shiver and a wince. "Well let's get off that subject. Um what to do now?" She thought out load then she looked over to a store and a large smile appeared on her face. The store she spotted was downstairs so she quickly went down the stairs and right into a Candy Store. However Kai had Max out of there before anything bad happened. Melinda on the other hand seemed to be okay then walked out with a smile on her face and a bag of candy casually tossed over her shoulder.  
  
"Now Melinda, don't eat any candy. Remember the last time you got sugar high?" Samantha said and Melinda thought and a large smile appeared on her face and she chuckled evilly.  
  
"Well anyway I'm back off home before I run into any more of my cousins." Melinda said as she began to leave.  
  
"Take Max with you." Kai said shoving the poor blonde at Melinda. Melinda looked at him then shrugged.  
  
"Have you ever driven a motorcycle before?" Melinda asked Max as they began to walk off.  
  
"No." Max answered and Melinda nodded but before they both left they went into a candy store then a store dedicated to the art of pranking and playing jokes on people a.k.a the PRANK STORE as it was called. "Why are we in here?"   
  
"To stock up on tormenting tools to entertain the utterly bored and hyper." Melinda said with an evil chuckle that Max soon shared since he had his bag of candy as well. After getting a few things they left and went out to the parking lot. There in a nearby Motorcycle parking lot off to the side there was a black and silver motorcycle awaiting them. (A/N: Mel: This mall is weird ne?) Melinda gave a helmet to Max and put one on her head. She got on and Max got on behind her.  
  
"So this is how you got to the mall. Did Kai bring one?" Max asked putting his arms around Melinda as she started up the bike.  
  
"Naw, he got to sit where you're sitting now." Melinda said and with that they took off.  
  
~*~  
  
He favored the Pats over the Titans on the today. (Jan. 10) Which they WON! I just don't like how he favors the Yankees. Obviously that makes me GO RED SOX! Can you tell where I live? Now, who's he? He will just remain he!  
  
Enough with anecdotes. I'll let you go on with your lives now. 


	6. Olive, Roberta, and M&Ms

Disclaimer: Non-original characters belong to their owners.  
  
~*~  
  
"Okay it's about lunch time. Do you want to go home to eat or should we eat in the food court?" Becky asked as she looked at her watched. (A/N: Mel: From now on I'll refer to Melinda, Rebecca, Taylor, Natalie, and Samantha as Mel, Becky, Tay, Nat, and Sam)   
  
"And eat all that greasy food? No way." Nat said with a disgusted look. "That's uncouth."  
  
"Doesn't someone use that word?" Tay asked herself and then it clicked. "Robert does of course." Tay said and soon the two where having a small verbal fight about how Nat didn't sound or even act like Robert but she did. "Yes you do and you know it. Roberta." Tay snapped and a few of them stopped to think about it.  
  
"What did you just call me?" Rober uh I mean Nat asked angrily. She crossed her arms and glared at Tay who was trying not to laugh.  
  
"You know Mel would be rolling around on the floor laughing right now if she was here." Sam said using Enrique as support since she was laughing so hard. Johnny also was laughing as well as the other anti social boys. Tyson was on the floor laughing, Kenny was trying to calm them down and the rest were well laughing as well. However Robert didn't look so pleased.  
  
"Oh look Robby the two are fighting and your part of the subject." Sam said and the two girls glared at her trying hard not to blush.  
  
"Oh shut up you boy crazy." Tay said but Sam stopped her.  
  
"Oh you best not swear. After all you're the princess remember." Sam said and Tay whacked Sam's hand away from her mouth.  
  
"Go to hell bitch." Tay said with a glare but also she smiled and that look seemed to remind them so much of Mel it was scary.  
  
"I think this would be best settled back at the house." Oliver said getting between the three that looked ready to tear each other apart. So they went home, but when Eddy opened the door, a bucket of florescent pink paint fell on him and thus the madness began.  
  
~*~  
  
"Ha. I win." Mel shouted with a triumphed smile stretched across her face. Max sat and sulked a little then smiled as well.  
  
"How about another go I was so close last time?" Max asked as the two restarted the racing video game. The red light turned to green and.  
  
"MEL!" Sam shouted as she opened the door to the entertainment room causing the high-spirited duo to mess up killing both of them.  
  
"NOOOO!" They both yelled and hung their heads for a second. "Okay." They said again in unison as they looked at the intruders that made them lose their game.  
  
"What's up?" Max asked and Mel looked at the faces of the people in the group.  
  
"Mel why was there a paint can rigged to dump florescent pink paint on the first person to open it?" Nat asked tossing the can at Mel who caught it.  
  
"It wasn't me I swear." Mel said looking really shocked. "It was he who did it." She said pointing to Max.  
  
"HEY!" Max said with a slight glare at Mel.  
  
"It's true. Don't deny the truth." Mel said with a smile and the two started a glaring contest.  
  
"M&M." Becky said and both of the two in question looked at her.  
  
"Great now I'm a candy, first I'm part of an evil vegetable, then a drama, and then I'm a shadow, then a demon. Now a CANDY! What is this world coming to?" Mel said then fell back and off the couch.  
  
"Part of a candy." Rebecca replied.  
  
"Come on we won't get anything out of them right now." Tay said with a sigh. Eddy went to take a shower and they all dispersed. Tay was sitting in one of the gardens when Mel and Max came up.  
  
"Hello." The two said with a smile.  
  
"What do you two want?" Tay asked silently fuming at what Nat now called her.  
  
"Why so mad?" Max asked with a smile.  
  
"Well it all started at the mall. Nat and I got into a fight and about how she acted. I then called her Roberta because she does act like Robert. Then she called me Olive since well I sort of act like Oliver. You can understand the rest I'm sure." Tay said and Mel started to laugh.  
  
"That is the dumbest thing I ever heard someone get mad over." She said and fell on the ground laughing. Then the two staring at her had to laugh as well. "Hey Max come on I just thought of something. Catch ya latter Olive." Mel said and the two took off.  
  
"What are we doing?" Max asked as they searched the halls.  
  
"Looking for Robert of course." Mel said and Max got what she was going to do. After sometime they found Robert reading in the library all alone. "Hey, Robert. How are you?" Mel asked as the two sat down.   
  
"Fine and how are you?" Robert asked and Mel motioned to Max it was his turn to talk.  
  
"We're fine, a little bored, but fine." Max said in his happy tone.  
  
"So Robert how's your girlfriend Roberta?" Mel asked somewhat fast. She hoped he didn't pick up on the girlfriend part because that would ruin her next question.  
  
"She's doing fine." Robert said after thinking of what Mel said. It was said fast so he had to think of the words that came out of her mouth.  
  
"Oh so she is your girlfriend I didn't know that." Max said and Robert looked up surprised.  
  
"Yes I asked how was your girlfriend Roberta and you said she was just fine. You didn't however say that she was your girlfriend or not." Mel said with a sly smile and Robert noticed that the two happy teens cornered him.  
  
"She is-is-isn't my girlfriend." He said blushing slightly but the two saw it.  
  
"Oh then why are you blushing? You like her don't you?" Max said as the two took seats close to him.  
  
"No." He said sending them a glare but he was stuttering.  
  
"Oh come on. It's not like we'll tell. Come on please tell us if you like her or not." Mel pleaded with a smile.  
  
"Well I guess I do like her a little." He said and Mel winked at Max as the two watched the teen they were questioning become a deep red.  
  
"You guess? Your face says something different man. Look if you want we'll leave you to your thoughts. Mel?" Max said and Mel stood up stretching making her back crack.  
  
"Come on he's not going to tell us." Mel said with a smile and her partner in crime nodded.  
  
"Okay I admit it I do like her." Robert said and the two smiled.  
  
"Then don't move we might come back to talk more." Max said and the two went off. "Where to now?"  
  
"To Roberta of course." Mel said and the two shared an evil laugh. "Okay come on." She said and after an hour they found their target. She was sitting in the gardens and thankfully alone. "There." Mel pointed and the two went down to their target. "Hey Nat whatcha doing?"   
  
"Enjoying the peace of the gardens." Nat said and the two looked at each other and shrugged.  
  
"So what's with this I hear that you and Robert are a couple?" Max asked as the two sat out of hitting reach.  
  
"What?!" Nat asked surprised and looking them in the eye.  
  
"Well you know the whole Robert and Roberta thing." Mel said as she suppressed a laugh. Nat was blushing and she sort of looked like a fish with her mouth opening and closing.   
  
"That isn't true. Tay just called me that because she says that I act like him." Nat said pulling herself together to glare at Mel.  
  
"Well yet another that denies all feelings for someone." Max said and both of the hyper teens laughed. 


	7. Headaches and Sportsmanship

Disclaimer: All non-original characters belong to their owners.  
  


* * *

  
Becky sighed as she walked threw the halls. She was going to her room since being around Sam wasn't helping her headache. "Where's some Advil when you need it?" She asked herself holding her throbbing head in her hand. Just then she saw Mel and Max coming around the corner chatting about something. "Hello O'Drama."   
  
"What's up Buzz-Buzz?" Mel asked as the cheerful duo stopped in front of Becky.  
  
"Nothing really. Sam just worsened my headache." Becky said rubbing her head slightly.  
  
"Want some Advil?" Max asked producing a bottle from his pocket. Becky took the Advil with a simple thank you.  
  
"So what are you two doing?" Becky asked leaning against the wall.  
  
"We just are being bored." Mel answered with a shrug. Max nodded to her answer but the smiles never left their faces. "However we did get Roberta and Robert together just some part of our boredom."  
  
"Why don't you go train?" Becky asked with a smile. "I don't care what you do just don't bother me. I'm going to go take a nap."  
  
"How can we bother you when you are sleeping? The last time I tried to get you up in the middle of the night I got books kicked on me." Mel said rubbing her head where the books probably made contact. "Well catch ya latters. Bye then." Mel said and the duo left to waste their boredom on training. Becky just smiled watching them go and remember the time Mel was spending the night at Becky's house a few years back. Mel had said she was ranting and trying to get Becky up but all Becky did was kick some books that were on the bed onto Mel. She shook her head and went to her room. It was a simple room much like the other bedrooms. There was a bookcase, desk, tan butterfly chair, closet, dresser, king-size bed with green sheets, and a vanity. It was decorated with lively greens, light blues, and a once white rug that after the pranks it went threw became a dusty pink. She fell back on her bed and looked up at her white ceiling with a dry interest. Soon she fell asleep holding a bear that was soon thrown across her room and landed into a pinkish garbage can next to the vanity.  
  


* * *

  
"Whoa!" Max shouted as his blade was thrown across the room with such force it was just a green blur. He looked at his blade that had managed to survive Mel's attack, and the bone-crushing contact with the wall. It was badly damaged and it wouldn't be able to spin for quite a while after that attack. He looked back at Mel who was smiling while holding her blade that didn't have a scratch.  
  
"Hmm. I think it's about time to get Buzz-Buzz up." Mel said rubbing her hands together and laughing evilly. (A/N: Mel: Time to insert the lightening bolts, wolves howling, thunder crashing, the whole bit.) She left Max on his own, and took off to Becky's hall of the house. You could tell who had which hall because above each hall there was a little wooden plaque with something on it. Mel's plaque had theater masks, Becky's had a bee, Tay's had a crown, Sam's had sneakers that said dance on them, and Nat's had two chess peaces on it. Mel went down Becky's hall carrying to badminton rackets and she used a birdie as a small hat. She went into Becky's bedroom without even knocking. When she entered she barely dodged a pillow that was thrown at the door. "BECKY!!" Mel yelled into Becky's ear and the sleeping girl nearly punched Mel. "WAKEY! WAKEY! COME ON SLEEPING BEAUTY WAKE UP!!" Mel yelled and with that the sleeping teen groaned and sat up with a yawn.  
  
"What is it?" Becky asked her voice somewhat slurred since she just woke up.  
  
"Badminton." Mel said handing Becky a racket. Becky looked at her confused a little then realized what Mel was up to. "Come on. I need an opponent and you know the others don't really like one on one sports besides Beyblading that is. So can you please be my opponent?" Mel asked as she gave Becky a big puppy eye look.  
  
"Okay." Becky said happily and they left to go out to two fields dedicated to sports. On one field there was a, tennis court, a badminton court, a basketball court, and a small track. On the other court there was a baseball diamond, a football field, archery field, and off further away from the others a place to practice shooting. The two went to the badminton court and began to play. Soon Johnny came out to watch since he had nothing better to do. He watched as Mel easily slid on her knees to get a few hits she would have missed, he also saw Becky was great at smashing the birdie causing Mel to run a lot. In the end Becky made Mel run to much causing Mel to slow down. Becky easily took advantage of this and won the game. "Great game O'Drama." Becky said shaking Mel's hand.  
  
"I agree lock, stock and barrel." Mel said with a smile. They put away the rackets and birdie into a shed with all the equipment for that field. "Hey wanna play a little B-Ball?" Mel asked as she pulled out a basketball. That's when Eddy came up and took the ball from her. "HEY!" She yelled angrily. "Oh this means war Eddy. War I say." She said shaking her fist at him.  
  
"I hardly seem it fair for an amateur to go up against a pro." Becky said then smiled. "How about two on one?" She suggested and Eddy looked over to Johnny who stood up from the bench he was sitting on.  
  
"Two on two." Johnny said with a smile as they went onto the basketball court. In the end the girls won thanks to Mel's speed and flexibility and Becky's planning and nice shooting.  
  
"Ha, girls rule." Mel said with her hands on her hips. Eddy was still shocked on how fast someone so short could be and how easily Becky sunk all those shots. Johnny was just pissed and you could easily see that. "Oh come on Johnny you can't let everything piss you off."  
  
"Why not?" Johnny growled at her as they all just relaxed on the benches. Becky was sitting next to Eddy who was next to Johnny who was glaring at Mel as she sat in front of them on the ground.  
  
"Because how are you going to live a long live if you're always mad?" Mel asked then thought a little bit. "You can't really." She said as Tay came up with the others. "Yo."  
  
"Hey Mel. Want to go to the ranch?" Tay asked and Mel was on her feet in a second.  
  
"I'm in." Mel said and Eddy and Johnny almost fell over because they weren't expecting her to do that.  
  
"Becky?" Nat asked looking at the other girl.  
  
"Sure why not." Becky answered and the boys looked at them.  
  
"Your coming now questions asked." Emily and Enrique said making the boys shrug.  
  
"We're going on a picnic to Silver Falls." Tay said and Mel had a smile that stretched a mile wide. "And yes Shadow you can go swimming."  
  
"YAY!!" Mel said clapping her hands together. "I applaud thee." She said and they all went to the house to get ready. 


	8. Blueberries

Disclaimer: All non-original characters belong to their owners.  
  


* * *

  
They got to the stables a little later and the girls had to try and tie down Mel who just got out with ease. She was rocking back and forth with a large smile as she sat on the bus they took. "Why are you so hyper?" Mariah asked watching Mel as she tried to stay still but couldn't.   
  
"I get to see Shadow." Mel answered and Mariah looked at her as if she was deranged. "My horse. I haven't seen him for a week now." Mel said as Mariah then understood but still thought Mel had a few loosened screws in her head.  
  
"But no Cupcake." Becky said with fake sadness making Mel laugh.  
  
"Well can you stop rocking back and forth? Your braid hurts." Tyson said shielding himself with his hands from the rope like piece of hair that was draped over the seat in front of him where Mel sat. Just then the braid whipped out at him with a snap as it cut the wind. "MEL!!" Tyson yelled and she looked over seat at him.  
  
"What?" Mel asked innocently.  
  
"Would you stop that? I already asked you once." Tyson said and she blinked.  
  
"Oh I must have not heard you." Mel said innocently with a smile to go with it. Becky and Nat just laughed as Mel gave the royal blue haired boy huge innocent puppy dog eyes. When they got there they found themselves in front of a beautiful looking stable. They went in and found at least sixty different horses all in their own stalls. "I'M HERE!" Mel shouted and a few stable boys came running up.  
  
"Hello Miss. Melinda." One of them said and they got their horses. Mel got her horse Shadow; Becky got her horse, so kindly named by Mel, Bumble Bee. Tay got her horse called Winter, Nat got her horse named Rain, and Sam got her horse named Flare. The others got horses that were sort of picked at random and soon they were on the trail to a waterfall.  
  
"I spy with my little eye something that is blue." Mel said with a large smile breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled on the large group. Since she was somewhat behind them they all looked back at her with surprise.  
  
"BLUEBERRIES!!" Nat said with a large smile and Mel nodded as the two went up to ripe blueberry bushes. They gathered a whole lot of blueberries and then caught up with the group. "What are we to do with our little prize?" Nat asked and Mel's smile turned into a malevolent smirk. She picked up a blueberry and with a slingshot shot Tala in the back staining his white shirt. He looked back at them and there they were eating the blueberries so he shrugged not caring about the shirt that already had neon green on it. When he turned around Bryan was hit in the head with a blueberry turning his pale lavender hair blue. He looked back at them and there they were eating blueberries. He turned back and watched as a blueberry flew past him and hit Kai on the shoulder. The Blade Breaker Captain turned around and glared that the girls that were trying to throw up a blueberry and catch it in their mouths.  
  
"Eek." Mel said as a blueberry missed its target and landed on her closed eye. She looked at them with a blue splat mark around her eye.  
  
"That gives a new meaning to blue eyes." Becky said seeing that Nat as well had a splat mark around her eye. Just then the two began to throw blueberries at each other. Somehow they missed their target and hit the others. After they ran out of blueberries and everyone had at least one blue splat mark the group drifted into silence again.  
  
"Meow." Was heard threw the silence and they all looked back to Mel who was watching the sincere go bye and then Becky began to laugh. Nat was trying to get the blueberry stain off her face without getting her shirt messy only to have a few blue sharks like fins on her face that looked like Kai's. "Are we there yet?" Mel asked in a bored exasperated tone.  
  
"Soon O'Drama." Becky said and fifty more 'Are we there yet's from Mel they got to a waterfall and a beautiful picnic area. They changed into their swimsuits and Mel jumped into the pool under the waterfall first. Tay, Nat, and Becky soon followed with some of the others. Tay and Mel were splashing each other while laughing and Becky, Nat, and Max were diving off a large rock. Sam found the perfect rock to get a tan on.  
  
"COME ON SAMMI!! Stop cooking yourself and have some fun." Mel yelled as she used her hand to stop the water Tay was splashing her with.  
  
"You're so childish." Sam said rolling her eyes and Mel dove under the water and slowly resurfaced and splashed Sam with a bucket of water. "MEL!! PREPARE TO PAY!!" Sam yelled and jumped into the water going after the laughing girl. "Enrique-poo she ruined my tan." Sam whined to Enrique who looked at the shorter girl who was holding onto her ribs as she sat on a rock laughing.  
  
"Don't worry I'll get you the best tan money can buy." Enrique said comforting Sam.  
  
"So you're just going to fall for that sob story Whinny." Becky said as she relaxed on a rock a few feet away from Mel.  
  
"What did you just call me?" Enrique asked looking at Becky as Mel laughed even harder.  
  
"Whinny the pooh, Whinny the pooh." Becky started to sing then hum.  
  
"That's so uncouth." Robert said and Mel began to calm down.  
  
"What ever you say Teddy Bear." Becky said and Mel began to laugh again and soon some others began to laugh along with her. After the picnic the group went back to the house, which went surprisingly well with the exception of a small food fight between Max, Emily, Steve, Mel who started it, and Johnny. That night they all went to bed right away after dinner since the day tired them out.  
  


* * *

  
"Morning." Mel said happily and quietly as to not wake up the others. Kai looked at her with a look of surprise since he was expecting her to be up so early. Tala just rolled his eyes but sent her a smirk. "Goody one actually somewhat happy to see me and the other surprise." She said then stretched and looked at the clock seeing that it was seven o'clock. "No one has ever slept this long in this house." She said with a blink as Becky walked in and yawned.  
  
"Morning." She said while yawning and the four sat down in the living room with nothing much to do.  
  
"I wanna go to Borders." Mel declared in a hushed voice raising her hand above her head pointing to the sky.  
  
"Sure lets go." Becky said as the boys silently agreed. 


	9. Books, in several different languages

Disclaimer: All non-original characters belong to their owners.  
  


* * *

  
The four got out of the car at the strip mall that had Borders at the end. The girls walked in almost dragging the guys in since the two didn't really want to go they just wanted to get away from the annoying ones. When they got in they all spread out and went to find their own books to read. The boys met up at the café to get something to drink and wonder what might happen next. "They're all interesting. You have to admit that much." Kai said and Tala looked up from staring at his smoothie.   
  
"Why do you say that?" Tala asked which earned him a whack on the arm from Kai. "Ow." He said but didn't rub the spot where he was hit. "I think we should see where they are." He declared since he finished his smoothie and they were just sitting there. With a shrug Kai soon followed after Tala and they went to search threw the sea of books for the two girls. They found Becky looking at some rather interesting series in the young adult section and also noticed that she had a few fantasy books as well.  
  
"Oh hi guys." She said with a smile seeing them. She put back a book that she thought she might like but it didn't sound to good. She sighed a little as she looked for another book that sounded interesting. "Oh look, Catcher in the Rye." She said and there was a light chuckle form somewhere nearby.  
  
"Mom don't you mean Lord of the Flies?" Mel asked as her head popped into view a few bookcases away.  
  
"You're right. How did I mess that up?" Becky said to herself and the boys watch a sly smile to appear on Mel's lips.  
  
"Very carefully." Mel said but that earned her a whack on the back of the head as Becky went up to her and hit her with a book.  
  
"That's my line." She said as Mel chuckled still smiling. "What are you reading?" She asked looking down at the book Mel had in her hands. It was written in Russian and since Becky could only speak the language a little she couldn't understand it in written context.  
  
"Ð¯ÑÑÑÑÐ½ÑÑÐ¹ ÐÐ¾Ñ"Ð²Ð° Ð¡Ð¾Ð»Ð´Ð°Ñ." Mel said which made Becky look at her with an 'English please' kind of look. "Sad Moscow Soldier." She said which made Becky raise an eyebrow. "It's about the conditions in Moscow when was it WWII?" Mel asked half herself half Becky. "Don't answer that." Mel said as she saw Becky about to open her mouth.  
  
"Doesn't this seem similar some how?" Tala asked and Kai hit him in the arm. "Yea stupid I know." He said but the girls didn't notice. Mel had gone back to reading and Becky was looking at the rest of Mel's little stack of books. There were some more books in different languages (about half of their library was full of books in different languages Mel owned), Theology, art, and maybe one or two thrillers where snuck in there somewhere she couldn't tell.  
  
"Why don't we get our books then go to the mall it's not far from here? Just down the road." Mel then suggested after about another half an hour. Kai and Tala had taken all the books in Russian text and some in Japanese out of Mel's little pile and were reading them. Becky looked up from her book she was reading and stretched.   
  
"It's up to the guys because I don't care." She said as her back cracked from not sitting up straight for a while.  
  
"Sure why not?" Tala asked and Kai just shrugged. They bought their books (the boys bought the books they stole from Mel) and got into the car. When they got to the mall Tala and Mel were both rubbing an arm or their head because of something stupid they said. Becky entered and growled before whacking Mel in the arm.  
  
"Hey! What did I do now?" Mel asked rubbing her arm looking at Becky. The taller girl began to hum something. "Oh well that's no reason to hit me even though I got the scare crow song stuck in your head." Mel said and began to look around the mall.  
  
"So where shall we go?" Kai asked and Mel began to skip off so they just decided to follow. They soon found themselves in front of Spencer's Gifts. They went in and after a few minutes in there they came out Mel holding a bag.  
  
"Where are we to go now?" Kai asked as Mel looked at what was in her bag.  
  
"Lets go to Waldenbooks." Mel said happily.  
  
"No. We just came from a bookstore." Becky said crossing her arms.  
  
"But Mommy." Mel said earning a good whack on the back of the head with a book. "Ow. Daddy, mommy hit me on the head really hard." She said turning to Kai who also hit her.  
  
"I didn't know I was married to someone." Becky muttered and saw the questioning look from Kai. "No offence."  
  
"Oh poor sistra got hit on the head by mom and dad." Tala said and was also hit pretty hard over the head.  
  
"Ooo. Can we go in there?" Mel said pointing to a store with a bunch of shinny pointy swords, daggers, and other tools for cutting.  
  
"No." Tala said rubbing his head.  
  
"But Papa." She whined and he glared at her.  
  
"So I'm married to two people. How many more people am I married to?" Becky muttered with her head in one of her hands.  
  
"Nine hundred ninety-nine trillion." She said and would have gone on if it weren't for Becky hitting her in the arm. "Ow. Abuse, abuse." She said pointing to Becky then trotted off to find a store worth going into.  
  
"I wonder how you haven't gone insane yet." Kai muttered as they followed the hyper Mel.  
  
"Very carefully." Becky muttered and sighed as she saw Mel shoot into a candy store.  
  
"If you like candy so much you should try some Russian coffee candy." Tala said as they sat at a table in the food court. Mel and Becky sat on one side the boys on the other. Mel was busy eating some candy and ice cream while the three other teens were eating normal food.  
  
"That stuff is good." Mel said happily before going back to eating her ice cream. "But there should be a warning not to eat while drinking coffee and eating other sweats."  
  
"You said that right." A voice behind them said and she looked back and her eyes widened. Her smile widened and she was on her feet and running over to the person. It turned out to be a man with jet-black hair and tan skin. Just by looking at him you could tell he was related to Mel since he reminded you so much of Dan and Steve. He was tall, muscular but lean, onyx eyes shimmered with happiness, and Mel had to jump up to wrap her arms around his neck.  
  
"Bummer. How have you been? I haven't seen you in ages." Mel said as she dropped to the floor and looked up at him.  
  
"I've been fine. Grandma had a stroke but she is recovering quiet well. I see you're still short." He said and chuckled when she looked away and crossed her arms.  
  
"Don't rub it in." She muttered glaring at the ground. "You still a cop?"  
  
"Yep and the only reason I'm here is to find the troublesome trio of brothers." He said with a sigh.  
  
"What did stupid Dan and his brothers do now?" She asked tilting her head slightly.  
  
"Nothing their mom just needs them back home." He said and she nodded.  
  
"I feel sorry you're the one to retrieve them. They won't go back easily especially what happened five years ago." She said with a meaningful tone.  
  
"You should speak for yourself. You won't even look at home on the map let alone thinking about going back." He said shaking his finger in the no direction. "So who are your friends?" He asked apparently seeing that she was talking to the three before he decided to put in his two sense.  
  
"Oh yea I almost forgot. Cousin, this is Tala from the Demolition boys, Kai from the Blade Breakers, and you already know Becky right? Anyway guys this is my cousin Bu-er Arland." She said seeing his glance from the corner of her eye. It clearly read 'you tell them you die' and so she didn't tell them what his nickname was but if they had listened they would have known anyway.  
  
"Nice to meet you." He muttered with a smile. "However I can't talk I must go find three other cousins of mine." He said before he left.  
  
"Your cousin seems rather busy." Kai stated monotonously.  
  
"Oh don't mind him he's always work, work, work no time to enjoy life or what it has to offer." Mel said sitting down in her chair. "Now what were we talking about? Oh yea Russian Coffee Candy." She said and soon the conversation was going again.  
  
"Well it's three I bet the others are wondering were we are so we should go." Becky said with a smile and they left. 


	10. Europe

Disclaimer: All non-original characters belong to their owners.  
  
Dedicated to my latest reviewer: Kay. (If you want me to answer questions, either contact me or leave me some way to contact you.)  
  
Keep the reviews coming.  
  
~*~  
  
"OLI, OLI OXEN-FREE!!" Becky yelled going down the hall. "Nine!" She then yelled as she searched threw the maze of hallways. The Majestics were the only ones in the house when they came back and Becky got an idea. It had been five minutes into searching for the four boys, and Kai and Tala thought they were a little insane.  
  
"Whinny the Pooh, Whinny the Pooh!" Mel sang as she skipped threw the halls. "Laddie!" She then yelled turning the corner.  
  
"What's with this uncouth noise?" Robert asked coming out of the entertainment room, as Becky was about to pass it.  
  
"Nine. There you are." She said then looked in the room but found no Oliver. She frowned slightly then grabbed onto Robert's wrist pulling him with her. "Come we must find Oli." She said to him and went back to her search. "OLI, OLI OXEN-FREE!!"  
  
"Laddie there you are." Mel said with a smile and began to pull Johnny along with her. "Whinny the Pooh." She started to sing again.  
  
"What are you doing?" He yelled angrily at her.  
  
"I have orders to find you and Whinny the Pooh and bring you to the lie- berry." She said happily. "Whinny! Where are you?!" She turned the corner and thought she saw the blondes red sneakers go down another hallway. "Whinny the Pooh." She began to sing over Johnny's rants about how she was acting and dragging him along by the back of his shirt.  
  
"OLI, OLI OXEN-FREE!" Becky yelled as she searched the maze of a house. She really had to talk to Tay about when she adds on the extension to not make it as labyrinth like for it made it harder to find people.  
  
"This is extremely uncouth." Robert said crossing his arms as Becky dragged him along by his arm.  
  
"OLI!" She shouted happily as she finally found Oliver in the other entertainment room. She brought the two to the library and told them to stay there. Soon she came back with Johnny who was a little happy to see her since he was getting sick of the tone death Mel dragging him along by his shirt. She came in but without Enrique or Mel.  
  
"DAMN ITALIAN! GET THE HELL BACK HERE!" Sounded threw the halls making Becky chuckle a little.  
  
"Worst way of getting under Mel's skin is to ignore her when she's trying to find you." Becky said as Kai and Tala looked up from the books they had stole from Mel.  
  
"Normally Enrique would admittedly be right next to a girl that was calling for him." Oliver said with a smile.  
  
"Mel is no ordinary girl looking for a rich boy to go out with." Johnny pointed out as Enrique came in seemingly scared to death. After him came a very calm very quiet very pissed off Mel who was mouthing a few choice words in every language known to man and a few that were probably made up. Her eyes flashed from brown to red to gold to black over and over again as she tried to calm her anger. Then she took a deep breath and sighed before smiling.  
  
"That worked." She said in a happy tone and a few of them backed away from her. That made her officially scary but they knew that all the other girls could be scary when they wanted to. They already saw Nat in her scary mode, she seemed to be extremely sugar high and talkative then she shut up and wasn't hyper anymore. It all had happened within five minutes. "So why was I sent around looking for Johnny and the Damn Italian?" She asked sitting down in an empty chair.  
  
"Well you're from Europe, am I correct?" Becky asked from her seat across the table that Mel was sitting at. The four Majestics nodded taking a seat around the table as well. "Well you see I want to go to Europe and I was hoping that you showed me around." She said folding her hands together on the table.   
  
"That will be fun." Oliver agreed with a smile. "I can't wait to show you around Paris."  
  
"No I'll show you around Rome first." Enrique said with a sly smile.  
  
"Why should she go around your uncouth city?" Robert asked crossing his arms.  
  
"Oh so she should be stuck listening to your family history as you give her a tour of your castle." Enrique countered and then they noticed Mel and Becky share the same smile and glance that said something that they didn't really understand.  
  
"We like castles." They said in unison something that they rarely did and it was sort of weird hearing it.  
  
"To bad you couldn't go on a trip to see all the places you want to see." Mel said with a shrug resting her head on the table.  
  
"You're coming too." Becky said crossing her arms. Mel just chuckled into the aged wood.  
  
"Why should I go?" She muttered as she rested her arms in her lap. She seemed so comfortable just sitting there like that.  
  
"Because it's educational and it'll give the others a break from you. I've seen Tay's new dusty green hair." Becky said making Mel look up real fast.  
  
"Educational? What's so educational about a place I've already been too?" Mel asked tilting her head a little.  
  
"You just don't want to go." Tala pointed out with a smirk.  
  
"Shut up Red." Mel snapped at him and Becky smirked.  
  
"You're going and no arguing." She said crossing her arms while daring Mel to try and argue with her.  
  
"Let me guess if I try to argue with you the next stupid thing I say I'll end up with a new bruise." Mel said and Becky nodded. "Fine I'll go but no guarantee I'll be good."  
  
"Good tomorrow we leave before the others get up." Becky said with a smile and Mel hit her head hard on the table.  
  
"Ow." She muttered then sighed.  
  
~*~  
  
Mel sighed as she sat on some of the luggage. She couldn't believe she was actually going on this little journey with them. Becky seemed really happy and couldn't really sit still. Oliver and the others were happy that they could be going home for a while. "Why am I going?" Mel asked looking up at them.  
  
"Because it keeps you out of trouble. Besides Robert agreed to show us around his castle." Becky said with a smile.  
  
"Whoop-de-do." Mel said lethargically and sighed. After they checked their luggage in they went to their plane and sat down. Mel had somewhere gotten a candy rapper and was making an annoying noise with it by crumpling it up. She got to sit next to the window and next to her was Johnny who was brooding because he got stuck next to the annoying bored Mel. In front of them next to the window was a very tired Becky and next to her was an equally tired Enrique. In front of them were Oliver and Robert who were chatting quietly. They were the only ones on the plane because they were on the Majestics' private plane.  
  
"Would you stop that now?" Johnny muttered angrily looking at Mel who handed him her object of amusement and settled for looking out the window. "Thank you." He said crossing his arms.  
  
"Welcome I think." She muttered then sighed. 'This is going to be a LONG trip.' She thought then closed her eyes. She woke up threw half the flight and looked around. Johnny was awake and staring off into space, from what she could see Becky was leaning on Enrique and the two seemed to be asleep, Oliver was leaning against the window asleep, and Robert was awake also staring off into space. "How long have I been asleep?" She asked quietly before stretching.  
  
"A few hours." Johnny replied looking at her. "To tell you the truth I didn't know you were a sleep until I tried to talk to you and you wouldn't answer."  
  
"Well I feel better." She muttered and sighed. "How far are we from America?"  
  
"Half way from both continents." He replied then seemed to get a little more comfortable position. "Wake me up when we get there." He said then he went to sleep. Mel soon found herself the only one awake and left with her thoughts. 'It's been a while since I was on a plane. Hmm not much about flights have changed, I wonder what type of engine is in this one. How thorough were the mechanics when they did their check up? Did they make sure every exit was easily opened for emergencies? Did they make sure the landing gear was well oiled so they won't get stuck on landing? Maybe but then again this is a civilian plane and not a.' She thought then cut off her thought process on that note. A painful memory always came from the next word in that sentence and she didn't need it at that moment. She knew the other girls also had hard pasts but none of them went threw what she had gone threw. Then again they all had different experiences. Becky she knew came from a poor family but her father cheated his way to the top. Tay came from a wealthy family but her father died when she was young and her mother was never around to raise her. Nat came from a family that was rather normal and middle class but she watched her father die in a helicopter crash and before that she went threw her parents divorcing. Sam was an interesting case, her father was a illiterate bum that depended on welfare, her mother was a working woman trying to raise both her and her brother, and her step father wasn't what one would call nice but he was better then her real father. Mel knew that for sure but she was missing some things pertaining to Becky. How did she meet Becky in the first place? 'Sam introduced me to her.' Mel thought and looked at the seat in front of her. 'Why doesn't her story make sense to me? It's believable but for some reason it doesn't make sense to me. Why would she seem so high class for a poor class person? What makes her different from the others I've met that remind me of her? Why do I always run into another question when I ask question? Grr. This is getting on my nerves.'  
  
"Why can't I figure you out?" She whispered angrily at the girl in front of her while glaring at the seat. "It's been years and still I don't understand you." She then whispered before turning out the window.  
  
Becky cracked open one of her eyes and smiled not caring that she was leaning on Enrique. 'You don't know how many question come up when trying to understand you.' She thought and fell back asleep because she was dead tired. Normally she couldn't sleep in a moving object but she didn't really care if she was moving she was too tired to care. 


	11. Pooh vs Becky and she's winning

Disclaimer: All non-original characters belong to their owners.  
  
~*~  
  
"Johnny." Mel whispered shaking Johnny slightly. He woke up and soon looked out the window to find that they were landing. He had the strangest dream that Mel was whispering angrily at Becky but brushed it off since they were landing in Glasgow. It was his hometown and he knew that they would stay at his mansion before they go to Paris and the rest of the places on their trip.  
  
"What?" He muttered stretching.  
  
"You said wake you up when we get there so I did." She said with a shrug. She then pulled out a little Griffin plushy and tossed it in the front of the seats hitting Robert on the head.  
  
"UNCOUTH!!" He yelled waking up from his sleep. Johnny started to laugh and Becky woke up and managed to hit Enrique in the jaw because arms length of her. This caused Enrique to wake up and hit the back of Oliver's chair waking up the poor French boy.  
  
"What was that?" Oliver asked half asleep. Mel began to crack up; she was laughing so hard her sides hurt. Johnny also was laughing harder and as things calmed down they got out of the plane and into the limo that waited for them. When they got to Johnny's mansion it was five in the afternoon their time and Mel was being as bored as she was before they got onto the plane.  
  
"Are we there yet?" She whined as she nearly fell out of her seat and onto the limo floor.  
  
"Just calm down we'll be there soon enough." Becky said with a sigh and shook her head. Mel began to play with the end of her braid not having anything to do and just then a lock pick fell out of her hair. It wasn't that long and close to the end of the lock pick it looked like a triangle that was flattened out.  
  
"So that's were it went." Mel muttered to her-self picking up the tool.  
  
"What is that?" Enrique asked looking at the metal object.  
  
"It's a stainless steel half diamond lock pick." Mel said happily and Becky just rolled her eyes.  
  
"So now do I have to hear about you missing your lock picks anymore?" Becky asked and Mel shook her head. Out from her pocket she pulled a case and put the prized lock pick into the case. The boys saw all the other lock picks that she had which was a wide assortment. There had to be at least sixty- four in all but what surprised them was she didn't get caught with them. "How did you sneak them across the border anyway?"  
  
"There's a magnet lined underneath the top layer of the case. It's go help keep the picks in place and also messes up the detection of metal so I was passed easily." Mel said a little offhandedly. "It worked perfectly since I didn't get caught even with one in my hair. However I like my jack knife set better it's more portable but then again with my cousins around and the fact they like to steal my lock picks I brought these with me also." She said a shrug.  
  
~*~  
  
They all got out of the limo and walked into Johnny's mansion in Glasgow. There were places for tennis and other things of that nature. When they entered they were shown to their rooms to put down their stuff and they all went their separate ways for now. Becky fell asleep on the couch, Mel went to the gardens and the boys went to find something to do. After about an hour the boys decided to take the girls out to eat but the trick was finding them. Enrique walked into the living room and found Becky there on the couch asleep. He went up to her and shook her shoulder. "Hey wake up." He said but his eyes crossed and he groaned. He fell to his knees in pain because Becky had kicked him very hard and he wondered now if he could have kids. Her kick was rather powerful and what added to his humiliation was the fact that Mel walked into the room.  
  
"What wrong?" She asked when she saw Enrique.  
  
"Pain." He said and she looked at him.  
  
"That says a lot." Mel muttered crossing her arms.  
  
"She kicks hard." Enrique said and Mel pieced it together then began to laugh hysterically. Becky then woke up and she looked at what was going on.  
  
"Nice shot Buzz-Buzz. If it was a little harder he might never have children." Mel said in between laughs.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Becky asked then noticed what position Enrique was in and she too started to laugh.  
  
"First you lean on me now you always seem to hit me!" Enrique exclaimed. "At least give me a kiss for my booboo."  
  
"Well first off you leaned on me, case and point, you fell asleep first. Not to mention, on the plane, you should have learned your lesson then. Why don't you get your girlfriend to kiss that booboo?" Becky said after laughing hysterically.  
  
"What makes you think that you're not my girlfriend?" he asked moving closer to her.  
  
"Mel! I think we have a triangle going! Pooh, I am your girlfriend in the sense that I am a girl who happens to be your friend, but I'm NOT your girlfriend, in the romantic sense. You've already got one of them." Becky said as Mel continued to roll around on the floor laughing.  
  
"But Becky." He whined putting on his best puppy-dog face.  
  
"Don't whine! I refuse to get caught up in an argument where I'm "stealing" her boyfriend AGAIN!" She said stressing the words refuse, stealing, and again. Only he didn't seem to notice and by that time the other boys had walked in. Robert was muttering about how uncouth Enrique was at the moment, Johnny was laughing, and Oliver seemed a little worried about Mel who seemed about to pass out because she was laughing so much.  
  
"Ju-Jus-Jus-Just dr-dro-drop it P-P-Pooh!" Mel managed to say between laughs. She also was whipping away tears as she started to calm down. "That was hilarious!" She exclaimed with a large grin. "I wish I had a video camera! IT was PRICELESS!" She said happily as Robert had enough uncouthness to help up the jovial brunette.  
  
"What was so 'priceless' that brought you to the floor laughing so much?" Oliver asked and Mel smiled.  
  
"I wouldn't be as funny if I told it to you. Besides doesn't the saying go 'curiosity killed the cat'?" She asked with a hidden elation in her voice.  
  
"There is a video camera in this room." Johnny said pointing to the overlooked camera in the high corner of the room. "We can see what happened when we get back."  
  
"Get back? Get back from where? Are we going somewhere?" Mel asked in a calmer state then she had been in.  
  
"No they're going to leave us here all alone." Becky quipped crossing her arms. Mel looked at her confused for a minute then looked back at Johnny with that same confused look she gave Becky who sighed. "Yes we are going somewhere my slow minded friend." She said as she stood up.  
  
"Oh." Mel said then thought. "I was getting there-"  
  
"Slowly." Becky finished for her and Mel crossed her arms huffing a little. "So where might we be going at this time of night?"  
  
"Dinner." Mel said happily before the boys could open their mouths.  
  
"Yes we're going to dinner." Johnny said with a smirk.  
  
"Yay! Mel is psycho." Mel said happily and Becky put her head in her hand.  
  
"I'm not going to ask." She muttered and followed Robert out of the room with the others close behind. 


	12. Mysteriousness

Disclaimer: See previous disclaimers!  
  
~*~  
  
~Back at home~ (Wherever home maybe)   
  
"Where are they?" Sam yelled flopping down on the couch in a sad heap.   
  
"Where are who?" Tyson asked looking up from his plate of food the butler (Pete) gave him.   
  
"The Majestics, Becky, and the un-said one." Nat said looking up from her embroidery.   
  
"I heard they went to Europe on a little get away." Mariah said slyly.   
  
"That Bitch better keep her hands off my boyfriend." Sam muttered with a sniffle.   
  
"Oh I think Becky will keep her hands off your precious. The question is will your precious keep his hands off Becky?" Tala said with a smirk.   
  
"Yea I can just see that Italian now trying to molest that wench." Ian said chuckling a little.   
  
"She'd probably hurt you if she heard what you just called her." Tay said quietly from her spot on the window seat in the living room where everyone was at the moment. "She already whacked Mel over the head for a similar comment the first time they met."   
  
"Yes but Mel had it coming. You know that girl doesn't really care about her life. She'd rather have fun then care about what could hurt her." Nat pointed out pushing her reading glasses somewhat further up the bridge of her nose. "Sometimes I think she has no brain at all."   
  
"Careless? Yes. Dumb? No." Tay said apathetically as she stared out the window. "She can be smart when she wants to. Becky always shows her smarts and common sense. Both of them are the great deceivers in our small group, they both seem to have masks that have been perfected and they both are masters of their emotions." She said shifting a little but her voice didn't leave its hushed state. "They're both hiding something."   
  
"I understand that but I don't understand why they have to feel they must hide whatever they're hiding." Nat snapped at Tay's back. By this time all the others were silent and listening. The boys knew to figure out who Mel was they should listen, and now Becky came up as a question mark (if one could say that). What was it that made the two different from the others? Kenny had no luck on finding things on Mel so they had turned to Mr. Dickinson who gave them Mel's Beyblading files, supposedly the only files that Mel herself didn't know existed, and said that it was all the BBA had on her. Now it seemed that Becky also was someone that wouldn't give up her past easily. Sam had easily told them searching for their sympathy, but received only a little from Enrique, and Nat had told them a little bit and said that she didn't want to bring up sad memories which seemed rather understandable.   
  
"Because they might think it's not something to talk about." Mariah suggested tilting her head a little.   
  
"Grr. I don't care just so long as they stay away from my boyfriend." Sam snapped and Tay smirked, though no one saw the smirk. 'If she only knew that Enrique has already been trying to hit on Becky.' Tay thought remembering the conversation she had with Mel and Oliver over the phone. With that thought she stood up and left the room to find something else to do then listen to Sam whine about the two 'trying to steal' her boyfriend. It was a well-known fact that Mel didn't like the thought about having to have that kind of relationship with thus giving her the little title "Amazon" by her cousins.   
  
Tay wondered if Mel ever had a boyfriend in her life or an extremely close friend at all. Sam seemed to try and press her friendship on Mel, Becky was a somewhere between an acquaintance and a friend, Nat was someone that didn't press her friendship with Mel but she did try to stay by the shorter girl's side. She well she didn't really knew where she stood when it came to being Mel's friend. She hoped that she was where Becky was but she didn't know whether that was a good thing or not. She heard countless stories from Becky about when she met Mel's cousins and some of them though funny seemed rather close calls. Before she knew it Tay was standing in the music room and was in front of the piano the only thing she knew she could play without concentrating on what she was doing. With a small smile she found that no one followed her and the door was close so the music wouldn't be let out and give away her location. And it was with that small smile she sat down and began playing allowing her hands to fly over the keys with a simple grace and soon her mind was wandering again.   
  
~*~   
  
Nat was now in kitchen among the smells and chaos of an organized cooking routine. She had retreated here because the only other inhabitance of the house that entered the kitchen besides the cooks and maids was Mel and Becky. This was one of her favorite places to write though she didn't really know why. Sometimes the room gave her ideas on how to pick a subject of a story or a setting. However she was now sat there, without her notebook that no one read from besides her, staring off into space. She had left when Tay did and now she sat there with hardly anything to do. She wondered what it was that made the two girls that where with the European team seem so distant then the rest of them. Mel seemed to always be there smiling and happy; Becky was there with a voice of reason and intelligence. One seemed to be an insane philosopher and the other a scientist that nine times out of ten didn't care about what was said about her.   
  
"Would you like to try this Miss?" One of the cooks asked holding up some soup for Nat. She tasted it and found the sweet taste that reminded her of that sweet tea Mel had her try once.   
  
"It delicious Dimitre." Nat said with a smile before sitting back down. "Say, Dimitre?"   
  
"Yes Miss. Natalie?" The chief asked looking up at her as he gave the soup to a maid that was setting up the table for dinner.   
  
"Ever wonder why Mel and Becky never seem to say anything about their pasts?" Nat asked motioning for him to sit down. He ran a tan hand threw his mat of brown hair looking at her with somewhat confused icy green eyes.   
  
"No. I haven't really thought of why the two are like they are. To tell you the truth they seem rather sad sometimes when they are in here to get away from the others." Dimitre answered as Nat looked over the cook. He wasn't that old probably around twenty five, wiry build but had muscle, if he wanted he could probably pass for a boxer, short brown hair that was somewhat messy, shallow icy green eyes that held kindness and other emotions, and a straight tooth smile but one of his teeth on his left side was missing. He was dressed like all the other cooks but his uniform seemed to be a little personalized which was nice.   
  
"Is that so?" Nat asked as he smiled at her then nodded. "So I hear that you're going back to Russia. Why?"   
  
"My, don't you ask a lot of questions. Well I'm going back to Russia because I finished school, got enough money that I can start a new life rather nicely, and my mother wants is rather ill and I feel that I must be with her." He answered not looking Nat in the eyes which was rather nice since the last girl that lived in the house he talked to, Mel, always looked him in the eyes.   
  
"You could become a rather wealthy cook." Nat said with a smile. "And when you do go I'm sure going to miss your cooking." She said making the young cook to chuckle a little. "So do you have anyone besides your mother back in Russia?"   
  
"You mean like any other family members?" He asked and she nodded. "Well there is, my two sisters, Larisa and Masha."   
  
"Oh? Who is the oldest?" Nat asked getting somewhat interested in this subject. She knew Becky probably already knew this since she socialized with the cooks more but that didn't bother her.   
  
"Larisa is a year older then me and Masha is nine years younger then me." He answered with a smile.   
  
"Masha?" Ian asked coming in.   
  
"She's his younger sister. Oh I almost forgot. Dimitre this is Ian, Ian this is one of the cooks Dimitre." Nat said introducing the two.   
  
"What's your last name?" Ian asked the cook with a somewhat cold voice as the other Demolition boys walked in wanting to find a place to get away from Sam.   
  
"Katzov." Dimitre answered as Nat went to taste more of the dinner.   
  
"Do you know Masha Katzov from Moscow?" Tala asked coming up.   
  
"Yes she is my younger sister. How do you know her?" Dimitre asked standing up easily towering over Tala by a few inches.   
  
"We ran into her a few months back. She said that she had a Brother in the states." Ian said and soon the three boys were talking while the other two listened in. Spencer occasionally put something in but that was about it and before they knew it, it was dinner. All the beybladers sat at the table eating and a few had a small conversation but besides that it was pretty quiet and it staid that way threw the whole evening.   
  
The next morning Nat was up first looking threw books in the library. They mostly pertained to beyblading history but besides that they were rather vague subjects. She had to find someway of entertainment since she couldn't fuss over Robert. So she went back to her old habits and decided it was time to finish up old research. Tay was in the gardens enjoying the beginning of the day with a nice cup of tea. Sam who woke up around eight was in her dance room trying to perfect her dance moves. The others where just scattered throughout the house.   
  
"Hey Mariah." Ray said as the pink haired girl walked into the living room. She smiled at him and noticed that no one else was in the room. "What's up?"   
  
"Nothing much. I'm just trying to find something to do that's all." Mariah answered with a causal gesture of her hand.   
  
"Oh. Okay. Have fun." Ray answered going back to his book he had been reading. It was a book completely on the Chinese legends of beyblading something he found rather intriguing and the best part was it was written in Chinese his native language.   
  
"Hey Ray?" Mariah said snapping Ray out of the concentrated state he had been in.   
  
"Yea?" He said looking up from his book at her with questioning eyes. He was soon lost in the depths of almond that held curiosity and something that he couldn't place. He had never seen it in her eyes before and he should know he was her childhood friend, well of course there were some snags in their friendship when he "abandoned" the white tigers to find out more about beyblading and the beybladers behind the sport. The team was sure mad at him for that but soon forgave him when he showed them that he had went out to learn more about the world.   
  
"Ever wonder what it would have been like if you hadn't left the white tigers?" She asked sitting down on the couch, which faced the other couch, Ray sat on. "I mean do you ever think anything could have come out of you staying with the white tigers and not going out into the world?"   
  
"Well if I hadn't left the village I wouldn't have met and battled so many great bladers and I would have never known the other Blade Breakers. Then again if I had staid I would have been weak because I wouldn't have the experience I have now. Other then that I don't think anything bad would have came out with me staying there." Ray said after he thought a little. 'Why would she ask such a question?' He thought getting slightly puzzled by the pink haired girl's question.   
  
"So if you had stayed you wouldn't be as strong?" Mariah asked leaning forward somewhat but didn't loose eye contact with him.   
  
"Yea that's about it. Not saying that you're weak or anything. I'm just saying I would have felt weak and unworthy to have my bitbeast Driger." Ray said not wanting to offend her in anyway.   
  
"Oh, okay." She said happily and stood up.   
  
"Why do you ask?" He asked looking back down at his book in his lap.   
  
"I just wanted to know that's all." She said then left a rather confused Ray to try and figure out what was her motive behind asking him that question. He knew from experience that she wasn't the type of girl that would ask a question like that out of the blue like that. There had to be a reason for her to all of a sudden find interest in a subject that he had thought was resolved a long time ago. Though the thought of her always being there for him was comforting. She even was there when he was sent to the hospital after battling Brian. Her presence alone was comforting for him but he would never admit that to her or anyone else. Although Tyson did bug him a little about the fact he should go out with her. He just couldn't picture him self in a more personal relationship with the pink haired neko- jin. He couldn't picture him self in a more personal relationship with anyone for that matter, he was always a bit of a loner and that's why Kai and him had an understanding. He knew when to stay out of Kai's hair and Kai knew when to leave Ray alone. Thus it formed an uneasy friendship between the captain and him but it was rather useful because he could always suggest to Kai on giving the others a challenging practice for a prank they pulled or a lenient one for how good they had been. Then there was the Genkai Max that seemed to be a loyal and trustworthy friend that was always there, if he needed to talk to someone. Tyson wasn't what he would call a best friend or just a friend he was somewhere in between. The blue haired samurai in training was always the one to give encouragement and help catch Ray when he fell. Tyson, Ray concluded, was a loyal friend that sometimes got on your nerves but was always there to help in the end. 'This is all fine but what made Mariah ask that question?' Ray asked himself noticing that his thoughts had become somewhat sidetracked. Mariah like he said wasn't the type of girl to ask a question like that unless she had a reason to. So what was that reason? She was so confusing at times but there were times when she was cute and quite enjoyable to be around. 'Agh, she so confusing.' He thought and decided to put the subject to the side for a later time before going back to his book. 


	13. Why not to like you mother's assistant

Disclaimer: See previous disclaimers!  
  
~*~  
  
Max was walking down the hallway in his half bored state trying to figure out what to do with him self. It was rather odd that he, the happy always busy hyper one, had to try to think of something to do. He turned down another hall only to run into, his mother's assistant and one of his friends, Emily. "Hey Emily." He said trying not to blush after realizing what position they landed in. She stood up and fixed her skirt.  
  
"Sorry I didn't see you." She said helping him up also trying not to blush. 'Not that I didn't like falling into his lap like that. What are you thinking he is your boss' son?' She thought picking up some disks she had dropped. With a little help from Max the mess was picked up rather fast.  
  
"Naw it wasn't your fault. I wasn't watching where I was going." He replied offhandedly handing her the disks. 'Although I didn't mind running into her. Wait, don't think like that she's your mom's assistant.' He mentally punched himself. He smiled before walking off to find something to do.  
  
Emily watched as he walked down the hallway. She mentally scolded herself for thinking that way about her boss' son. Sure he was cute, optimistic, and didn't let much dampen his happy attitude on life. Sometimes she wondered what could possibly make him feel sad or angry, then again she would hate the day she saw him express an emotion then happiness.  
  
She slowly turned and began to walk down the hallway to Tay's room. Amazingly the two had formed a rather small truce. Normally if you watched the two they would be bickering or wouldn't even look let alone talk to one another. But for some reason they started to work on this project together. It was one to enhance the bladers' beyblades and for the most part it was going fine. She stopped at Tay's door and looked back watching as the blonde Blade Breaker turned the corner. "See something you like?" A voice from behind her asked and she nearly jumped three feet into the air. She looked to the door and found Tay leaning on the doorframe watching her with sharp blue eyes. 'They remind me of a hawk's eyes.' Emily thought for a second then shook her head. "Really I could have sworn you were staring at the blonde blue-eyed cutie of the Blade Breakers' just a minute ago." Tay said smoothly only for Emily to growl.  
  
"I was not!" The tennis player almost yelled at Tay but kept her voice to an angry whisper.  
  
"Whatever you say, Emily, whatever you say." Tay said with a shrug and soon both girls went threw the door shutting it behind them.  
  
Max mentally winced when he pictured what Mel would say when she found out. Oh, boy he could picture it as if it was happening right at that very moment. 'Mel would somehow sneak up behind me and then most likely say, "Oh look Maxie someone likes you." Then I would be subjected to relentless teasing by her.' He thought after listening to the girls' conversation. He sighed at turned but nearly run into Tala. 'Oh boy his luck was running out now. Tala was just as bad as Mel sometimes.' Max thought as he remembered his little bonding time with the Demolition Boys' captain.  
  
~Flash back~  
  
Max was walking down the hallway when he ran into Tala sending the poor Russian to the ground by accident. "Watch it!" Tala hissed as Max offered a helping hand.  
  
"Jee, I'm really sorry. I wasn't watching were I was going." He apologized as Tala took the offered hand.  
  
"Che, well watch where you're going next time." Tala shot at him coldly.  
  
"Okay." Max said happily but out of the corner of his eye he saw Emily walk down another hall. He diverted his gaze to her and before he knew it he felt someone leaning on his shoulder.  
  
"You like her don't you?" Tala asked with a smirk on his face. Max blinked then shook his head.  
  
"No, I don't. She's my mom's assistant." He said but Tala's smirked curved into a small smile.  
  
"You just said you did." The red head said still leaning on his shoulder slightly.  
  
"What?" He had said completely befuddled.  
  
"No, I don't. You used double negatives. So in reality you said I do." Tala informed him twisting the Blade Breaker's words for his own enjoyment.  
  
"Oh would you shut up." He said and moved making Tala almost land on the floor again but some how managed to stay on his feet.  
  
"Well if you don't want her I'll go after her," Tala said slyly, "after all she is kinda cute."  
  
Max had turned around and looked at the red headed captain with a look that clearly said he was displeased with what he just heard. "You will not."  
  
Tala's smile only grew as he leaned against the wall. "So you do like her." He said with a slight chuckle to his voice. Max tried his best to not blush and to not hit Tala over the head with something. Then his worst fears came true as Mel's head popped up from behind a large houseplant.  
  
"I agree with Red on this one Maxie." She said with a devilish grin on her face. "And you know what you two would make a cute couple." She added her smile widening. "It makes me sick." She then said her smile turning into a frown. She stepped out from behind her hiding spot to join the two in the hallway out in the open.  
  
"Oh come now, honestly you have some love in that black heart of yours." Tala said with a smile.  
  
"Well let's see love in my vocabulary. Hmm? Oh yes, a big bunch of mush- mush crap that I don't want to deal with." She answered slowly saving Max from Tala's onslaught of teasing.  
  
"Damn you're harsh." Tala muttered but then noticed that Max had taken the time to take off. Truth was he was just around the corner listening to the pair talk.  
  
"This is a harsh world." Was all that he heard Mel say before he could hear her footsteps travel in the other direction.  
  
~End Flashback~  
  
Now there stood the same red head that had confronted him some time ago but now the shadow wasn't here to help him. What was he going to do? If the others found out...  
  
"Oh hey there Max-a-Million." Tala said rubbing his hair a little bit. Since Tala was slightly taller then the blonde it was easy for Tala to see just over Max's head. "Thinking about her again?" The red head just had to add just to see Max's reaction. Max as if on cue blushed making Tala snicker slightly.  
  
"Oh shut up." Max muttered somewhat happily, though he sounded more depressed then anything.  
  
"You know Denial isn't just a river." Tala said putting a brotherly arm around Max's shoulder. (A/N: Yes, my cousins, use that line a lot. It is annoying but I'm putting it in there just to make them happy. So everybody smile.) Max was about to shrug Tala's arm off when the captain started to whisper something into his ear. Max nodded to some things backed away and shot glares at Tala for others. All and all Tala had a really great plan he hoped.  
  
~*~  
  
NOTE: You know, I was smiling then I read that I was supposed to, so I stopped. 


	14. Mel IS incredibly smart

Disclaimer: See previous disclaimers!  
  
Whoo hoo go me! I finally posted all I have. Now to sort through the random e-mails of Mel and add more! (NOOOOOO!!!!)  
  
~*~  
  
~With the European team and two girls~(Paris, France)  
  
"Oh come on Mel you have to at least leave this mansion once." Enrique said tugging the shorter brunette out of the mansion. Johnny and Robert were waiting for them, since they were going to a play or whatever Enrique said to her. She hadn't paid much attention to him since she was to busy admiring the decor of Oliver's mansion.  
  
She sighed rolling her eyes and throwing her hands up in defeat while saying, "Fine, fine, I'll come." The three boys smiled and left. Becky had to laugh lightly as she watched them from her spot in a nearby tree.  
  
"She is rather entertaining." Oliver commented coming up. He looked up at Becky who upon seeing his gaze smiled.  
  
"It's just one of her acts." She said then jumped down next to him. "Sometimes I wonder if she ever tried out as an actress."  
  
"She does have those qualities but I think she'd be to camera shy." Oliver said remembering when they were in Glasgow. Johnny had, had a video camera and was trying to record something Mel was doing but she wouldn't look at him, and she was blushing slightly. It was about one of the funniest things that had happened in Scotland but it was rather cute on Mel's part. However the tape vanished and was destroyed when Johnny had found it. Oliver chuckled slightly along with Becky at the memory. "Well since they're gone. How about I show you around the city a little?" He said extending his arm. Becky hooked her arm around his while chuckling.  
  
"Sure why not." She said and the two were off. He took her to several different shops that were rather nice. It was a rather nice place to be but for some reason she missed the mansion back in the states. The halls echoed with memories, laughs, cries, insults, fights, and jokes. It was a casket of events. She could remember when the she first moved in with Tay. She was the first one; her father had introduced her to the blonde. Some complications in her home had really taken a toll on her and so she asked Tay if she could stay there for a while. She had to admit at first living with Tay was a challenge but soon they had reached an understanding and things where near perfect. Then Nat and Sam entered the picture. She and Nat had become fast friends but Sam was a whole different story. They clashed more then hot pink and sun yellow. The first month or two was full of fighting and soon she just gave up and ignored the "gangsta" hip-hop dancer. She had to admit the first four months of her stay with Tay was filled with nothing but tension. Then she came, the one person that could argue with anyone, the girl that cut the tension in half. Yes, Mel had come out of nowhere, and totally turned the four girls' lives upside down. Sam had brought the hyper brunette to dinner one night to thank her for saving her from a man. Sam wouldn't stop talking about how great a fighter Mel was. However, Becky saw the truth behind the mask, yes she saw the darkness that shown in those brown eyes of the shorter girl. There was something that always warned her that if Mel were to snap no one would be safe. But Mel was never mad, she seemed calm at times, she was rather interesting and understood people to an extent. Becky had watched her carefully for the first several months, and sooner or later became closer to her. Mel at first was ruthless when it came to pranks but soon backed away a little. Then before she knew it Becky was meeting Mel's cousins. It was a rather interesting experience; Mel's cousins could be nice then turn around and lash out. Unpredictable was the best way to describe the cousins because of all the times Mel had gotten beaten up by them. Becky remembered one time when one of the cousins beat up the brunette then asked if she was okay.  
  
"Hey." Oliver said cutting Becky's train of thought. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yea." Becky answered and smiled. They were sitting in at a small outside café. She didn't want to go to the theater with the others because one she had seen the play so much she knew it line for line, two Johnny had nearly strangled her for quoting the characters during the play, three Mel had brushed off the play every time and she didn't want to get between Mel and the boys. Four, the play happened to be Hamlet and she knew that Mel would just go on after the play about how there wasn't enough killing in it. "I was just thinking."  
  
"About what? Not that I want to pry or anything." Oliver said looking at her with a curious look.  
  
"Just about the other girls and when we first moved in together." Becky said offhandedly with a simple shrug.  
  
"I was going to ask you about when you guys first moved in together but I never had the time." Oliver commented just as offhandedly as Becky who had to chuckle.  
  
"Oh it wasn't as simple as it seemed. Tay and I didn't get along at all in the beginning but after a while we became great friends. Then Nat and Sam came to live with us. Boy was that a disaster waiting to happen. Sure I got along with Nat about as soon as I met her but Sam. As soon as I met her she seemed okay, then as I got to know her, she started to show hatred to me, and as a response I guess I was rather bitchy to her. The house was filled with tension then Mel came." Becky said and sighed shaking her head a little. "Mel. She came out of the blue and turned everything upside down. Before I was constantly reading, Sam was always plotting against me, Tay was always locked in her room, and Nat was always off doing something. Mel came, as soon as she moved in Tay had to stay out of her room for the most part to keep an eye on Mel. Nat was home more because she didn't want the little demon in her room. Sam began to focus on becoming friends with Mel, and Mel well she didn't really bother me. However I did observe her more then I read because well she is rather interesting. Then somehow we got a little closer together almost like a small band of sisters with Mel on the side. She never really got close to any of us although I am sorta one of her closest friends. It's almost as if she never really trusted us."  
  
Oliver listened and when Becky was done smiled. "I guess you all were rather different. Then having to live together turn everything even more upside down then most of you were used to. Like what some of the others are going through right know. Even I have some trouble around you five." He admitted then took a sip of his drink.   
  
"Are we that bad?" Becky asked with fake surprise knowing that Mel probably did creep some of them out. She was for the most part a little off her rocker but not completely and totally insane. It was more of a friendly nice hyper insane then anything else.  
  
Oliver shook his head with a smile. "Not really it's just getting used to Sam and her fawning over Enrique. He is what you Americans call a playa." Oliver said his French accent sort of got in the way of the gangster term but Becky knew what he was trying to say.  
  
"I guess you could say that Sam is not that different. She is the boy crazy one of our group." Becky said with a light laugh mingling in her words. "And I noticed the way Enrique acts when he was hitting on Sam, Tay, then me. Sometimes I just want to hit him over the head with a thick book." She said and Oliver laughed at that. "What's so funny?"  
  
"I think that you, Nat, and Mel are the only girls that ever turned down Enrique. Mel flat out said that if he even tried to hit on her he would be in the hospital in a coma. Nat hinted that she didn't like him and gave him a cold shoulder. Now you seem to not like him but he won't get the hint." Oliver said when he calmed down.  
  
"Oh I don't mind but it can get rather annoying." Becky said with a shrug. "So what do you want to do know?"  
  
"How about we go to Versailles?" Oliver suggested standing up after paying for their lunch.  
  
"Sure why not." Becky said and soon they were on their way to the Palace of the Sun King.  
  
~*~  
  
After the play had ended the three boys took Mel to an art museum and they had never seen the look of awe on Mel's face before. It was almost as if she had stepped into a magnificent dream and couldn't figure out what to do with her self because there was so much to do. The boys just thought of it as a normal visit to the museum but Mel, she seemed to have to look at everything. She started to tell the history of some of the paintings and those around her listened in. She spook in Italian so it was up to Enrique to translate what she had been saying, which wasn't all that hard, unless she threw in some German. "Mel how much do you know about painters?" Johnny had to ask finally when they got Mel out of the museum and on their way back to Oliver's mansion.  
  
"I don't know. Art has always been one of my interests, just like languages, foreign texts, religions, and the fighting arts." She said with a shrug.  
  
"And yet they don't really have that much in common. Well the fighting arts and religion I mean." Enrique said with little interest.  
  
"Oh but you're wrong, the Japanese believed that if you gave up you would anger the gods who would in turn punish you and your family by cursing them for generations." Mel said making the boys stop in their tracks.  
  
Johnny was the first to find his voice and raised a red eyebrow at Mel. "Did something intelligent actually come out of your mouth?"  
  
Mel looked at him and nodded slowly. "What? I have my moments, though how rare they may seem." She said then shook her head. "If you had noticed I do have a brain just I don't use it when I'm talking to people."  
  
"Well that would account for your uncouth pranks." Robert muttered crossing his arms only for Mel to smile.   
  
"Jee, Nine why don't you lighten up a little bit? Forget about the uncouthness of something and do something out of the ordinary. Varity is something everyone should have." Mel said making Johnny smirk at Robert's shocked face. It was priceless; someone that was uncouth -as Robert put it- was actually giving Robert advice. "Oh I forgot, thee shall not do something uncouth for tis against thine morals." She said then started on her way again. She had memorized the way from the theater to Oliver's when they were walking so this was no different.  
  
"Are you going to talk Shakespearian to us now?" Enrique asked as they walked along.  
  
"I may, I may not, for I do not know what it is you want me to voice." She said with a shrug. Johnny looked at her with a curious look then shook his head.  
  
"The sooner we get back the better." The three boys mumbled as they walked down the moonlit streets of Paris. 


	15. THEY arrive

The four entered the mansion not much later an uneasy silence was echoing in the halls. They all looked at each other questioningly and went to find Becky and Oliver. They heard some shouting from the library and went to investigate what was going on. Mel opened the door and they saw the two standing there. "I love you too." Becky said and then stormed off calmly. Mel looked at Oliver then back to where Becky had left the room.  
  
"Nice job." She said with a smile and the other boys seemed slightly confused. Mel put her hands behind her head, turned on her heels and left humming a simple tune.  
  
"What was that about? I thought you were with Tay." Enrique said with a smirk. "Oh I get it, you're cheating on her with Becky." He said with a mile wide grin and then left. Johnny just shook he's head before following Enrique. Robert muttered something about how uncivilized Oliver was for doing that and soon left the room as well. Oliver looked as if he was going to say something to them but didn't get the chance before they left. He sighed in defeat before hanging his head also leaving the room.  
  
~Back home~(Wherever home maybe)  
  
Tay and Nat both sighed as they sat down on the couch. It had to be a month of listening to Sam and soon one of them was going to choke the poor girl to death. Normally Nat wasn't violent she left that to Mel, Becky, and Sam but her patients was wearing thin. Even Tay seemed to be getting fed up with the boy crazy dancer. Tala just smirked as he watched the two from the window where he was sitting. "Why do you look so happy?" Tay asked calmly something that she has been doing a lot.  
  
"I was just thinking how much you two seemed bothered by Sam and not by your boyfriends on another content with two other girls." He said simply with a shrug before looking back out the window.  
  
Nat sighed again putting her head in one of her hands. "Of coarse Sam is bothering us. She won't shut up. The reason I'm not bothered with Robert being with them is because I know he's not the type of person to cheat on me."  
  
"What if his interests where elsewhere?" Spencer said looking up from the book he had been reading. Ian was listening as he and Brian played chess. (A/N: Ian is losing by the way.) You couldn't tell if Brian was listening or not.  
  
"There with Mel and Becky. One is called an Amazon because she shuns romantic relationships. The other just likes to be friends with guys, besides which one would Becky want to go out with." Nat pointed out as Tay just sat there listening to Nat's logic.  
  
"HOME!!" Shook the walls as a car pulled up into the driveway. Tay stood up and went to the door and opened it. She barely got out of the way when Mel did a face plant right threw the door. Becky came in leaning on Oliver while laughing at Mel who was now rubbing the side of her cheek where it got the most damaged. Johnny soon followed with Enrique laughing their heads off at the short girl. Then last but not least came Robert who was muttering about how uncouth Mel was acting. Mel sat up only to hit her head rather hard on the table that was there for decoration proposes. "Ow. Home is trying to beat me up." She said in a little kid voice.  
  
"That's what happens when you treat it badly." Tala said sarcastically as the others came to see what all the commotion was about. Most weren't surprised that Mel was the center of it but they hadn't expected the group to return today.  
  
Mel seemed to have a sly look in her eyes and she bit back a smile to mock pout. "But Papa I just got back." He glared at her which in turn only made her pout to intensify. "Why is Papa being so mean to me?"  
  
By now most if not all the group was laughing extremely hard. Even Brian seemed to be enjoying this little scene. "Knock it off before I permanently shut you up." Tala said with a death glare daring her to keep up the act. Yet Mel being Mel she just had to keep up the act and also being a baka decided not to heed Spencer's silent warning he was giving her.  
  
"Verbal abuse. Papa doesn't like me. Mel is going to cry now." She said in her little kid voice. Tala growled and charged at her only for her to run out the door. She would have kept running but for some reason she skidded to a stop and looked almost as if she were a deer staring at headlights. Soon they noticed why, standing there was Bega, Louie, Dan, and Bummer. "Uh, hi guys." She said with a nervous chuckle, the look in the boys' eyes was neither to inviting nor was it sane. Mel backed up going back to the door slowly trying to keep distance between her and them. However for every step she took they took two. Soon they charged her and she barely got away from Bega's grasp since he seemed to be the fastest. "Mind telling me why it's 'Beat Mel to a bloody pulp' time?" She asked again barely escaping Bega's attempt to grab onto her braid. This went on for about another five minutes before Mel stopped staggering back from a well place punch Jesse gave her. She rubbed her cheek muttering a few curses in a different language, one the girls never heard her use before.  
  
"Waagosh." Jesse spat at her and she looked at him a little curious. (A/N: Waagosh is fox in Native American, it's something Jesse always says to me when I play a prank or do something he doesn't like.)  
  
"Why are you attacking me again?" She asked now that the pain in her cheek slowly diminished. The others could smell alcohol on the air and only could guess the cousins were intoxicated. Bega said something to her and she looked at him confused at first but dodged Bummer's grab for her. She glared at them slightly backing away, then she spoke in Native American. "What do you mean, I corrupted White Hawk and Little Dove?" She asked them obviously forgetting that the others were standing there also wanting to know what was going on. However the language barer was always the problem when it came to knowing what Mel and her cousins were saying.  
  
"They are starting to act like you." Jesse said almost catching her.  
  
"Well I haven't been home for four years, maybe you're the cause." She snapped slowly losing her cool. For some reason her cousins always could get under her skin. "Why are you even here? You smell like alcohol." She added and then Dan did something unexpected, he began to get sick. The others all cringed and went back inside away from the sight. Sam even started to gag slightly; she never did have a strong stomached. Mel sighed and the other cousins calmed down to help him out, it wouldn't be good if he passed out if he was puking.  
  
~*~  
  
Once upon a time there was a girl who was writing an upydate to a story for a friend. However she was distracted by her hunger and wasn't able to finish the upydate when intentionally planned. She decided to writer her friend a letter explaining that she was sorry but she didn't finish the up date on time. She wished that her friend would forgive her for the delay and sent it before she went to bed. The next day she received a letter from her friend and she lived happily ever after in the big mess of upydates to come.  
  
The end  
  
Wasn't it a great story. *whips away an invisible tear* Well its true ain't it.  
  
~*~  
  
NOTE: Gotta love her. 


	16. Seducing Chairs

Yesterday was the day that the six came home and four of Mel's cousins came to stay for a little while. Some trouble back "home" made them come to find some other place to stay for a week. The week officially started today. (A/N: The camera focuses in a sitting room where Tala, Mel, Brian, and Becky were. Mel was lying on the couch using Brian as a footrest, Brian was glaring at Mel a little but listening to Becky and Tala speak. Scene starts it is noon and Becky and Tala are arguing.) Brian sighed knowing that how much glaring he did Mel wouldn't move her feet off of his leg. She had her arm over her eyes and she seemed to be rather bored or was she tired he couldn't tell.  
  
"No." Becky said crossing her arms. "It's not my fault that Enrique was hitting on me."  
  
"Well as soon as you said something to Sam by accident she starts going off. It's getting annoying." Tala nearly shouted and Mel lifted her arm up a little and looked over at the two whom where standing off to the side of the couch a little.  
  
"They still at it?" She asked her footrest. He nodded and she moaned before replacing her arm over her eyes. "Just shut up the both of you."  
  
"Make me." Becky quipped and Brian stood up since Mel curled up slightly to look at the two, so he wasn't her footrest anymore. He walked over to Becky who opened her mouth to say something but before the words could leave her mouth Brian covered her mouth with his. Tala and Mel looked at each other extremely shocked but soon a smile spread across Mel's face. Brian pulled away and smirked.  
  
"The best way to shut them up." He muttered and Becky raised her hand and looked like she was going to slap him. Tala waited for the slap but Becky began to crack up and instead of slapping him she leaned on Brian laughing. Soon Tala and Mel were laughing as well, Mel had fallen off of the couch and was rolling around on the floor under the coffee table.  
  
"That's extremely funny for an ECHIMP!" She said between her laughs only making Becky stop for a while and then laugh harder.  
  
"What does that mean?" Tala asked when the girls calmed down.  
  
"Egotistical Chauvinistic Hypocritical Idiotic Moronic Pig." Mel answered and Brian growled going towards her and she squeaked before dashing out of the door. He was about to go after her but Becky turned him around and kissed him. Tala just backed up a little feeling a little nervous so he quietly left shaking his head. He knew that Brian would forget about Mel's insult after his little time with Becky. Some how all he could think about was how much of a slut Becky seemed lately. With that he sighed and hoped that those two would break it up before someone walked in on them. He knew Brian was slightly possessive and would crack someone's skull open if they decided to insult him. With that he sighed and went to his room, there wasn't any point in talking to the others.  
  
~  
  
Mel sat there; she had successfully avoided Brian and her cousins for about three hours now. She shuffled her cards again and went back to her game of solitary, then the door opened and Brian and Becky walked in. "Hi." She said putting down a queen and then an ace.  
  
"Oh you got cards. Want to play BS?" Becky asked her two companions. Brian and Mel both looked at each other then shrugged, they didn't care. After a while of playing and a whole lot of 'I love you too's from Becky who had the largest hand they decided to play another game. At that moment though Tala opened the door and came in.  
  
"Hello Red, how are you? I lo-" Mel said cutting herself off before she finished her last sentence. She hit Becky in the arm before she began to laugh hysterically. Becky in turn hit Mel back and also started to laugh. Tala just stood there in the doorway completely confused as to what Mel was about to say, Brian just sat there looking amused at the two young women. Tala's entrance interrupted their card game and now all Brian could do was tape his unseen hand on the table waiting for the girls to calm down.  
  
"Do I even want to know?" Tala asked him in Russian as he sat down next to his friend.  
  
"It's a long story." Brian said with a sigh as Ian and Spencer walked in obviously attracted to the noise.  
  
"Hello, how are you? I'm fine. My name is Melinda by the way. M-E-L-I-N-D- A." Mel said sitting up and calm but she was still smiling.  
  
"Uh, yea. What's so funny wench?" He asked, what she had said had slowed down his thought process since it was said rather quickly.  
  
"She stole my line." Becky said and glared at Mel who looked at her innocently.  
  
"But Mommy, it's not my fault you burned it into my subconscious." She whined managing to avoid the attack slap to her head from Becky. She put the cards she held down on the table and dashed out of the room with a large smile. Followed closely by Becky who had also put her cards down on the table. The boys all looked at each other before reshuffling the cards and starting a new game.  
  
Becky finally hit Mel on the back of the head as they entered a sub-living room in the east wing of the house. Mel sat down in a butterfly chair and watched as Becky sat down in a twirly computer chair. She sat down in it backwards and the arms of the chair made her get stuck. Mel just watch completely amused by the scene of Becky trying to free her self from the chair but it wasn't working that much. She was laughing lightly and shook her head. "Almost out?" She asked and then for some reason her mind decided to put rather wrong images in her head. She mentally scolded herself slightly but the scenes didn't go away or fade for that matter. She inwardly sighed she knew this would somehow become something perverted but it only made her laugh a little harder.  
  
"Almost." Becky said only to fall forward in and landing on the ground. Now Mel really did start to laugh uncontrollably. She calmed down slightly; she couldn't resist making one comment.  
  
"Seducing a chair?" She asked her eyes flashing in amusement.  
  
"What the hell are you talk . . . oh." Becky retorted and began to laugh.  
  
"He mustn't be that hard for you not to notice." Mel said in between endless giggles as she held her sides.  
  
"Oh he's hard alright but he wont let go." Becky said still trying to free herself from the chair.  
  
"Rather possessive on the floor is he?" Mel asked the two were just having a ball with this.  
  
"Not as possessive as he was last time. Not as hard either." Becky said trying not to laugh so she could get herself free but it wasn't working very well.  
  
"Maybe you should warm up to him." Mel said as tears formed in her eyes she was laughing so much. The two laughed a little while and during that time Becky somehow got herself free. She stood up after she calm down only to trip and would have crashed to the floor if Bega hadn't been there to catch her. He however couldn't keep his balance so he ended up breaking her fall. This only caused Mel to laugh harder. "From seducing a chair to my cousin. I never knew you had it in you Becky."  
  
"W-W-What?" Bega asked as Becky put her head on his shoulder laughing.  
  
"Oh you know he loves it." Becky shot back and the two were in another round of laughter.  
  
"Yea he's probably just waiting to feel you up." Mel said between her giggles making Bega blush slightly. "Aw he's blushing."  
  
"Poor baby." Becky said into Bega's shoulder only making him seem more uncomfortable. "But I bet he's harder then the chair you were riding, mommy." Mel said still holding her sides and tears threatening to spill from her eyes.  
  
"Remind me to hit you later." Becky said while trying to calm down, Bega only got redder in the face at his cousin's comment. "Oh lighten up."  
  
"Eww, mommy wants to hit on me." Mel said in a fake disgusted voice. Just then Tala, Ian, and Spencer walked in wondering what all the laughter was about.  
  
"Yellow Red, I-an, Suspenders." Mel said making them look at her.  
  
"What's going on?" Ian asked mentally noting to hit her over the head for the name change. "Oh nothing, mommy is just seducing chairs, cousins, and threatening to hit on me when she gets done with my cousin." Mel said pointing over to Becky and Bega, Becky was once again laughing her head off and Bega was trying to get out from under Becky. This sent Tala and Ian into a fit of hardy laughter and Spencer just chuckled a little.  
  
"Two." Becky said and Mel's smile only widened if that was possible.  
  
"Eww. She wants to hit on me twice." Mel said with a very discussed face, which was probably fake yet really believable. "Brother, mommy wants to practice incest."  
  
"Three." Becky said between her laughter. Bega about that time just decided to give up since it was obvious he wasn't going anywhere. However he mentally shook his head at his cousin's perverted train of thought only to realize he and others were the cause of it.  
  
"But mommy you know incest is bad." Mel said still keeping up on her act. She was have a grand time sitting there laughing, her theory was if you could keep Becky laughing really hard it would take a while for her to recover in that time you could get to safety.  
  
"Four." Becky said and rolled off Bega to let him leave. Mel stood up and hid behind the three Demo boys as to not allow Becky to get at her. By now the laughter died down some and Bega was helping Becky up.  
  
"Save me, mommy wants to harm poor little me." She said putting her hands on Tala's shoulders to keep him there. Ian smirked seeing how she was probably paying Tala back for something since she could easily keep two of them in front of her instead of just Tala. That or there was some thing that ran a little deeper between the two. Just then Mel took off out the door as Becky calmed down enough to hit her over the head.  
  
"You know mom incest is bad." Tala said and Becky began to laugh again only this time Ian joined in.  
  
"One." Becky said and Mel's head popped in.  
  
"Eww, that's even worse mommy, hitting on brother. You should be ashamed of yourself." She said only to for the door she had been leaning on to open up and make her fall into the room. She looked up and saw that Bryan was the cause of her misfortune. "Daddy." She whined rubbing her head since it had made contact with the floor. Becky was leaning on Bega now to help hold her self up because she was laughing so hard.  
  
"What?" Brian asked looking down at her and she smiled.  
  
"It's nothing really just a, um how you would say, a continuing joke." Mel said as Becky slowly recovered. "AND mommy wants to practice incest." She said making the burly boy raise an eyebrow.  
  
"What?" He asked in shock before bending down and picking her fallen form off the floor setting her down on her feet.  
  
"Just like I said, mommy is wanting to practice incest because he wants to hit on Big Red." Mel said pointing at Becky and then at Tala. He looked at her funny before Becky put her head in her hands.  
  
"God how many more people will you give a sex change?" Becky asked and Mel looked at her recited her words then had a look of realization on her face.  
  
"But Bega it's fun to mix up peoples sexes." Mel said in her defense making her cousin look at her funny.  
  
"What?" He asked and she hit her head.  
  
"I meant Becky, Bega not Becky." She said making little to no sense at all.  
  
"Least your not Bertha, Bega and Melon I'm Becky not Bega, Becky." Becky said with a sigh.  
  
"That true." Mel said nodding her head in agreement.  
  
"Yea how I would dread being called Bertha. Becky is aggravating enough thank you." Bega said sitting down in a chair.  
  
"Okey dokey Becky." Mel said and covered her mouth before quietly leaving.  
  
"MEL!! GET BACK HERE!!" Becky and Ian roared as the two went after the girl to deal out the hits on the head they promised. With that the others sighed going back to what they were doing, Tala completely forgetting about Becky saying she would hit on him.  
  
~*~  
  
I LOVE THIS SECTION. IT CRACKS ME UP EVERYTIME. INCASE YOU WERE WONDERING ABOUT THE CAPS, MY HAPPY BUBBLE IS BACK!! 


	17. Fun House

"There she goes." Becky said as they watched their prey's braid turn the corner. She had to be hit over the head five times and there was no way the two would allow her to get away. They turned the corner just in time to see the braid turn down another hall.  
  
"How can she be so fast through these halls?" Ian asked as they chased after her.  
  
"Her cousins do this to her all the time. Right." Becky said as they turned down another hall only to find that it was a dead end and all the doors were closed. "Which one?"  
  
"I don't know. One of us should wait out here and the other should check the rooms." He suggested and Becky nodded. "Wenches first." He said with a slight bow getting hit in the arm before Becky began to search the rooms. After a while she came back from the last room saying that she had checked everywhere and Mel wasn't in any of them.  
  
"How about we wait until we see her again?" She suggested making him think it over slightly.  
  
"Okay." He said with a nod before the two departed. Mel sighed happy that the hallway wasn't that wide and that they decided to leave, her arms were starting to kill her. She fell down onto the ground from where she was next to the ceiling. The hallway wasn't that wide and it gave her some space to suspend herself over the hallway if she stretched out. She really needed to find a way to grow taller, that trick wouldn't work in any normal hallway but the girls lived in a fun house. She looked around and found no one so she took the other hallway she saw the two not go down. After walking for a while she managed to get to her hallway with a sigh. It was almost dinnertime; though she wasn't hungry she would probably just grab something from the kitchen latter. She walked down her hallway and opened an unmarked door. When she stepped in and turned on the light she found herself in a room with nothing in it except for a few discarded pieces of forgotten newspaper used when she painted the room. Unlike the other rooms in her wing this one had a carpet, she much preferred wood or tile to carpeting. However this one had in it and it was a dark crimson color. The walls she painted flames on with a smoky white background, and on the ceiling there was what looked like to be a smoke design with a hole in it to show the night sky. She sighed and lay down on the carpet looking up at the design she had painted, she easily found the big dipper in the stars and soon she found other things. In the clouds she found the face of a woman, in the flames what almost looked like a man, in the stars a stick figure of a little girl. She hadn't realized it at first when she finished painting; she forgot what she had wanted to use the room for anyway.  
  
"How come I even stayed here? I have family that is probably wondering what happened to me. Why am I not with them?" She whispered then turned on her side before spotting the window. It wasn't that dark but the days seemed to slowly be getting darker. She went over to it and opened it with a little trouble from the dry paint. As the cold breeze hit her face she suddenly had the urge to go outside and run. So she went outside the window and used a rope that hung from the roof to climb down before going off on a little run to the town, two miles away. There she figured she'd rent a hotel room and possibly practice against a few amateurs in the morning.  
  
Tay and the others had thought nothing of Mel's absence at dinner, the teams had gotten used to Mel's shaky attendance. She decided after dinner to check Mel's hall to see if she was busy or just ignoring them. She knocked on Mel's bedroom door and didn't get an answer; she tried the knob finding it lock, which usually meant Mel wasn't there. She just shrugged thinking that Mel had found another place to hide when a cold breeze filled the hall. It felt like someone had left a window open this was strange because Mel usually complained about the cold and kept her rooms a toasty ninety degrees. Tay looked around and followed the wind finding her-self looking at the unmarked room that Mel never used. She opened the door and was nearly blasted back because she wasn't expecting the wind to be so strong. A few old newspapers fluttered out into the hallway before Tay could close the door now inside of the room. For some reason she never liked this room, it always felt so cold and uninviting when she entered. The only thing that had been in there was old newspapers and painted walls. She saw that the only window in the room was wide open and the night breeze was blowing in. She went over and closed the window looking around the room. The fire in the moonlight seemed to come a live and she felt so unsafe in the room. Like she was being engulfed in fire that was so hot it felt cold.  
  
"Hey are you alright?" Michel asked walking into the room. He walked over to her and she looked up at him coming out of her trance. "You're shivering." He said and she smiled.  
  
"The window was open that's all. It's August after all, it's suppose to get cold soon." She said with a slightly nervous laugh. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Wondering around since the others have gone to their rooms. Sam said something about dancing, Becky said she had to finish up some research, and Nat said she was going to finish her needlepoint." He said leaning against one of the walls. "What's up with this room?"  
  
"This room is in Mel's hall, she was going to do something with this room, and she put a lot of work into painting it. On the day she finished she just forgot what she was going to put in it and left it the way it was ever since. She has never really lived her, she's always going off on trips to places, I don't know why, she says something about family meetings then leaves." Tay said and the two left the room not forgetting to close the door on the haunting room.  
  
"So where is she now?" Michel asked out of boredom.  
  
"I don't know." Tay said and the two soon found themselves in Tay's hall. She went into a room that was just a sitting room, however it was painted like you were near the ocean and it was very welcoming.  
  
"Did Mel do this?" He asked looking at the walls.  
  
"Some yes, the rest Sam, Nat, and I did." Tay answered as she sat down in one of the nice chairs that were in the room. "It was supposed to be a hotel room over looking the ocean in Italy. I really didn't come up with the idea, Sam did. She's been fascinated with Europe ever since Mel, Becky and Nat have said they have gone there. I have yet to leave the states personally."  
  
"I've gone to Russia." He said also sitting in one of the chairs. "I've found all the rooms are rather interesting."  
  
"Well Becky has a musical staircase in her room leading to her private library. Mel in her downstairs hall has a room with nothing but foam for seats. Nat has a room with many aquariums in it, almost like you're under water. In one of Sam's third story rooms she has a dance studio. I personally have a hidden room in this hallway that has a collection of top beyblades I have found, created, or was given over the years." Tay said rather casually and he looked at her surprised. They had been there for about three months and he just found out about this. "However Mel spends most of her time in the basement levels of this house. She has made many rooms, one being laser tag. She has also made for Sam an Ice Rink. Then there is the bar, with pool table and collection of dartboards. We even have a pool down in the basement. Now I'm thinking of adding on to our home if you could call this fun house one."  
  
"I admit this is an interesting place to live." The baseball player said looking around the room they were in.  
  
"So when are you going to leave? Or have you found out?" Tay asked offhandedly, she had come accustomed to the large crowd in her home.  
  
"We can leave whenever we like. However if we stay Mr. Dickinson is willing to pay for our home schooling." He said turning his attention back to her. "Personally I would like to stay longer." He said somewhat quietly while looking at her. She raised an eyebrow slightly before stretching and standing up.  
  
"Well it is late, I think we should go to sleep. In the morning Mel should reappear, she tends not to miss breakfast if she missed dinner the night before." Tay stated before they went their separate ways. 


	18. Angryness

Mel stretched and yawned getting out of the hotel bed. It was early in the morning and she had luckily remembered to bring a backpack of extra clothes though she didn't remember how she had acquired the thing. She went to the bathroom and took a long shower just relaxing in the water before getting out and started to brush her hair. After she was ready to face the day she checked out of the hotel, leaving the building with her backpack slung over her shoulder. She looked at the morning sky with a slight sigh trying to think of what she should do while she was in town. She had walked well into the night to the town that was the next town down the road from Tay's house. That's when she realized that she was actually a half an hour's walk from her Grandmother's house. She smiled and started off in the direction that her Grandmother lived. It was a nice place, a two-story house on top of a hill. White with green trim and a perfect deck for taking pictures something her grandmother loved dearly. She walked with a small skip to her step and hummed a simple tune. She couldn't really remember if her Grandmother's dog was still alive or not. She also vaguely thought about of the group back at the house, they wouldn't really care that she had left so unexpectedly, or so she hoped. After about twenty minutes of walking she decided to run the rest of the way since she now really wanted to visit with her grandmother. When she got to the town where her grandmother lived she went to the nearest payphone having forgot her cell phone in her room back at the house. She did however bring her pager, something all of the girls were required to have when living with Tay for some reason. Mel didn't really mind since she also needed the two items if she wanted to live in her family. She quickly dialed the number she had learned by heart and waited.  
  
"Hello?" A sleepy voice said from over the receiver and Mel suppressed a giggle.  
  
"Hello, Sam. Just calling to tell you guys that I went to visit some relatives so I won't be there today or tomorrow maybe. I'll call you if my plans change and stay out of my hall. Okay? Well I got to go. Bye." Mel said before Sam could say a word and hung up the phone. She then called another number she knew by heart.  
  
"Hello Pricilla is speaking." A kind voice said over the phone. Unlike Sam who liked to sleep in her grandmother thought that if you slept in for all the time you missed sleeping you could have been doing something productive.  
  
"Hello Grandma. I'm in town and was wondering if I could stay at your house for the night." Mel said with a smile in her voice.  
  
"Of course. I'd love to see you Melinda." Her grandmother said and Mel really did smile.   
  
"Well I'm on my way. I'll see you soon." Mel said looking at the road ahead of her.  
  
"I'll see you soon as well. Good bye." Her grandmother said and hung up making Mel do the same. Mel picked up her backpack that she had dropped and then started off towards her grandmother's house.  
  
~  
  
Sam had stood there looking at the phone that she had hung up. Her tired mind processing what was said before she blinked. "TAY!" She yelled now fully awake. She went off to find her blond friend. "TAY!"  
  
"Yes?" Tay asked coming out of on of the rooms in her hall. Sam went up to her noticing that Nat was also with Tay.  
  
"Mel called." Sam said and the two that were listening looked at each other curiously.  
  
"Well what did she have to say?" Tay asked raising both of her eyebrows.  
  
"She said she was visiting some of her relatives and won't be back till tomorrow or the next day. If her plans change she said she'd call." Sam said and the two nodded in unison.  
  
"Okay, Nat can you find Bega, Louie, Dan, or Bummer and find out if they know anything about this. Sam inform the cooks of Mel's absence then tell Becky and the others if they haven't already found out." Tay said in a matter of seconds, she had always been able to take control of situations if need be, which was why when the five where on a team she had been the captain. Now they were just friends, though they still beybladed they had all taken a different road. Mel became a rather famous blader of the streets not appearing in tournaments, Becky had a reputation in the tournaments, Tay and Nat became highly qualified researchers, and Sam just seemed to drop out of the sport to work on her dancing.  
  
Nat nodded and took off to find Mel's cousins. It was only a matter of minutes she found the four sitting in the bar down in the basement and alone. They tended to only be around when Mel was present with the others other then that, they staid away from them. "What do you want punk?" Louie said going up to Nat and looked down at her. She smiled and pushed him slightly and he backed away to lean slightly on his pool stick.  
  
"Mel went to visit relatives. Have you any knowledge of this?" Nat asked and Bega scratched looking up at her in shock.  
  
"No." Bummer said from his spot on a barstool. "She must have went to a relatives on her father's side. If she was to go to one of our cousins or relatives places we would have heard of it by now."  
  
"Hey doesn't her grandma live around here? Er, I believe her name was Pricilla Waite." Dan said and the other three looked at her before thinking a while.   
  
"Yep that sounds about right. Her cousin Katie lives with her husband and young girl not far from here as well. About an hour's drive from her grandma's place though." Bummer said as the two younger guys looked at the two in surprise.  
  
"She could have caught a bus to Denver to visit her Uncle Kai." Louie said and Nat nearly fell over in shock.  
  
"She has an uncle named Kai?" Nat asked and the boys looked at her almost as if forgetting she had been in the room.  
  
"Doesn't everybody?" Louie asked only to be hit on the head by his older brother Bega.  
  
"No, and yes she has an uncle named Kai. He is her father's half brother if I remember correctly." Bega said his older brother and older cousin nodded.  
  
"Well okay." Nat said and left quickly not wanting to hear more of the four guys jabber amongst themselves forgetting she was there. She found Tay quickly and smiled.  
  
"Find anything out?" Tay asked only for Nat to sigh slightly loosing her smile.  
  
She ran a hand threw her hair and sighed. "Well other then Mel having an Uncle named Kai, her cousin Katie and her family lives an hour away from her grandmother's house which isn't that far away from here. No."  
  
"What about Kai?" Tyson asked coming out of nowhere making Tay and Nat jump at least three feet. "Sorry."  
  
"Yes what about Kai?" Sam asked coming up obviously done with her assigned job.  
  
"Mel has an Uncle named Kai." Nat said and Eddy came up.  
  
"What? Kai's Mel's uncle?" He asked Tay and Nat sigh in aggravation.  
  
"Kai I didn't know Mel was your niece." Mariah said as she and Kai stood there. Kai just seemed to want to break something.  
  
"NO!! PEOPLE!! KAI IS THE NAME OF ONE OF MEL'S UNCLE!!! HIS NAME IS KAI WAITE!! NOT KAI HIWATARI!!" Tay yelled angrily and all of the occupants in the house froze.  
  
"Thou scurvy tickle-brained hell-hated lunatic, to the fiery depths of hell with thee." Becky said as she dragged Enrique down the hall going to though him out of the window. Her patients had finally worn too thin with him and he was now going to be subjected to whatever injury the fall would be inflicted on him. She however stopped when she saw Tay standing in the middle of the hall just as angry as Becky. Becky dropped the poor Italian on the floor and glared down the object that was in her way. Tension quickly filled the hall and some of the occupants left. Sam and Nat however stood there ready to break up the fight that would come if the two geniuses didn't settle their matters in a civilized manner, much to Sam's regret. "Out of my way." Becky growled and Tay glared her down.  
  
"You're in my way." The blond said crossing her arms.  
  
"BRIAN!! TIMOTHY!!" Came the shout from down the hall and the angry pair looked down the hall to find none other then the black clad girl that had gone missing.  
  
"What?!" The two yelled at her but she smiled.  
  
"Hi." She said waving the smile never leaving her lips. The two girls looked at each other and sighed knowing arguing with Mel was pointless even if she always fought the loosing battle, she was always too headstrong to give up.  
  
"Uh? Mel?" Sam asked completely confused on how Mel had gotten there.  
  
"Yes I'm real Simon. I got a ride from my grandma after we had tea. She had to leave on a business trip and I didn't want to bug Katie and her family. Well anyway what has happened?" Mel asked leaning against one of the walls.  
  
"Would you drop calling us those names? I mean you haven't done such a thing since last year sometime." Nat said only for Mel's smile to widen.  
  
"Naw, I think this will be fun." She said and her features darkened evilly. "Very fun indeed." She said evilly and the other girls looked at each other.  
  
"MARK!" They yelled at the now laughing girl who had taken off down the halls. She had come back and now caused all the blame to land on her. How she could cause so much trouble seemed inhuman.  
  
Mel slid going down another hall having lost the other girls. She was on the search for someone and that someone was close. She knew they'd stay near the bar and since she was in the basement he would be around there somewhere. She was checking down the hall with the Ice Rink, the hall she didn't normally go down. Just then out of a room her pray came and she tackled him somehow landing on his chest. "Beatrice I have a favor to ask of you!" She said happily looking down at the shocked Bummer.  
  
"W-W-What? Should I even wonder why you called me Beatrice?" He asked getting up and began to give her a piggyback ride since she jumped on his back.  
  
"Knowledge for a favor." She said and he thought this over.  
  
"What's this favor?" He asked and she smiled knowing he'd see things her way if he ever wanted to know why she called him Beatrice. She then whispered in his ear what the favor was. "WHAT?! Why? I mean." He said and she covered his mouth with her hand.  
  
"Please? I'm begging you." She said solemnly or as solemn as she could get after eating sugar free mints.  
  
"I'll see what I can do. I also take it you won't tell me why you called me that until I finish my end of the concordat." He asked shaking her hand.  
  
"You got it Beatrice." She said and hugged him. "Thank you." She said before getting off his back and took off.  
  
"What is she up to now?" Bega asked coming out of the shadows.  
  
"Part of the favor was I wouldn't tell anyone." He said and Bega huffed.  
  
He crossed his arms and glared at his older cousin. "You know she might as well kill us all now and get it over with. Just living around her is enough to make a man go mad. Half the reason why we beat her up."  
  
"Ah! Don't be chauvinistic my good friend. Soon we will be able to leave and you can forget about her existence until the Fall Powwow. You know she that's the only time she has to be present." Bummer said with a small laugh.  
  
"I don't see why she favors that demon." Bega said glaring in the direction Mel left.  
  
"She understands that Mel still has some good in her heart. She sees it every time Mel comes up and stays by her side." Bummer said and began to walk away. "Just put up with Mel for a while she isn't that bad."  
  
Bega watched his cousin go before frowning. "She has corrupted you more then you know." He said before also departing. 


	19. Planning

"Hmm. So he really got on your nerves this time?" A figure asked another standing next to her in the dark.  
  
"More then you can possibly imagine." The other said with venom dripping slightly in her voice.  
  
"I have an ideal that will put him in his place but I need some background information." The first said a sly tone in her voice. After that their voices where no louder then mere whispers.  
  
"What kind of background information?"  
  
"Olive isn't straight is he?"  
  
"How did you find out?"  
  
"I have my ways, so I guess the answer to my question is yes. This should play a great part in my plan."  
  
"Don't hurt Olive."  
  
"Oh I won't hurt anyone, I'm just going to bring Olive out of the closet."  
  
"What are you going to do?"  
  
"I need dresses, as many as you can spare. But they have to fit them."  
  
"We could pillage Timothy and Simon's closets. I'm sure we'll find enough dresses why?"  
  
"Good now all we need is to get some of Simon's extra make up some rope and the needed chairs."  
  
"This sounds familiar."  
  
"It's just between us though, remember don't tell anyone."  
  
"Don't you trust me?"  
  
"Maybe, I have to go."  
  
"Why? Where are you going now?"  
  
"I have some unfinished business in town."  
  
"I'll see you at dinner."  
  
"Yea, see you." The first figure said before the two figures left. No one ever knowing that the two had the conversation.  
  
~*~  
  
Tay sighed as she walked into Becky who seemed to be preoccupied with something in her hand. Tay glanced quickly and found a letter from someone. With that she shrugged it off and left Becky to read her letter. It was an invitation from the BBA association in Boston. They asked her to go and participate in a tournament. She wasn't going to decline but now there were so many people to ask if they want to come along. Normally Mel or one of the other girls would go with her but now all these other teams were here. She could bring a friend it was defiantly not going to be Enrique coming with her. She went to her room to think it over. Though she had forgotten she had her staircase on so as she walked up to her library she heard music. She looked down and noticed that the stair she was on was lit up and a note was droning on in the silence. She smiled and rushed up the stairs only to go back down and turn up the staircase. She put on some headphones and began to play a song with the staircase on full blast. Before she knew it there stood Tala with his hands over his ears yelling something at her. She stopped and made sure the note ended before taking off her headphones. "Qu'est-ce?"  
  
"Can you knock it off? You can hear that stupid staircase from a mile away." He said and she smiled put on her headphones and began to play her song again. He covered his ears and left aggravated. After a while she took off her headphones and turned off her staircase. She walked into the library noticing that Mel and Nat were having a conversation.  
  
"Your cousins have been complaining about being bored. We should have them do something." Nat said crossing her arms and glaring at Mel.  
  
"What are you going to have them do? Dress all in black spandex and dance the hokey pokey while sing that song I'm Too Sexy For My Shirt?" Mel said straight faced and serious. This caused the whole library that had been listening in to laugh.  
  
"That was priceless." Tyson exclaimed rapping an arm around Mel's shoulders. Mel rolled her eyes and shrugged his shoulder off before leaving. "What's up with her?"  
  
"Je ne sais pas." Oliver and Becky said in unison then looked at each other.  
  
~  
  
Mel walked down the hallway grumbling under her breath. She didn't like what was coming up. Beatrice couldn't persuade the ever-prestigious white suit group that she couldn't come to their little get together. Now she had to get ready for that AND plan a rather eccentric prank that already took a week to plan. She really was becoming rather busy lately, she didn't know whether it was fate working against her or she wanted to just kick back and relax for a while. She ran a hand through her messy hair and took off the hair tie to unravel her braid. She went to her room and sat down at her desk picking up a brush and began to brush the waves out of her hair. She sighed and took a shower before dressing in a simple blue mussel shirt, black pants, and of coarse her socks. She hated it when her feet got cold. She ran her brush through her hair and put it up in a simple ponytail. She walked out and went to the door and slipped on a pair of tennis shoes. "GUYS! I'M OFF!" She yelled down the hall and opened the door. She would have been gone in a second if Sam hadn't been standing in front of her.  
  
"Where are you going? You have your hair out of its braid. Why?" She said and came in to circle Mel like a vulture. Mel tensed slightly not liking to be inspected. "You're not wearing a black t-shirt. IS there something wrong with you?"  
  
"Uh, Sam I like to wear something other then I normally wear every once in a while and besides, I have to look somewhat decent. You don't go have lunch with a politician's wife looking like a hoodlum now do you." Mel said before dashing out of the house knowing that she'd be slightly late.  
  
"Wait MEL!" Sam said wanting to know if there was going to be any celebrities at the meeting however Mel had gone out of hearing range once she got into the car that was sent to pick her up. She sighed and looked out the window before turning her head to the woman next to her. "Hey cousin. How are you?" She asked with a slight smile.  
  
~  
  
"I still don't see why she'd want to skip that event. That's one of the most high class get-togethers of the army." Louie said as the cousins talked.  
  
"You know their standards. Trim and proper, no exceptions. I don't blame her for wanting to skip out of it." Bummer said leaning against the bar.  
  
"Yea, she's never been that type of girl." Bega said before taking a shot and getting the four ball in.  
  
"Funny, for the longest time you thought she was a guy with long hair." Dan said to his brother who missed the cue ball completely.  
  
"It wasn't my fault she went by that dumb nickname." Bega retorted trying to regain some dignity since the argument would slide down hill anyway.  
  
"If I remember correctly, you were the one to give her that name." Louie said with a smile.  
  
"Oh shut up you were just a little toddler when I started to call her that." Bega snapped glaring at his younger brother.  
  
"But she was still just a toddler as well." Bummer put in with a smile the others knowing they had trapped Bega. "Or should I refresh your memory of a time when you two actually got along."  
  
"Don't even start." Bega hissed leaning against the pool table. "Besides it's not my fault her father was a highly sought after official in the arm forces. She has to deal with this by her self."  
  
"But it's not her fault either so why should she have to finish what her father started." Louie reasoned.  
  
"BECAUSE SHE IS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST GIRLS OUT THERE!" Bega shouted tossing the pool stick on the table.  
  
"Still bent on trying to win her at a mind game right? Well keep trying maybe you'll win her sometime." Dan and Bummer said with a sigh before they went back to their quiet game. 


	20. Mushed Potatoes

That night at dinner everyone seemed silent for some reason. Mel was back from her little meeting and Becky was in deep thought, who was she going to bring with her. "Barbara." Mel said out of nowhere making a few people jump. Becky looked at her curiously with a raised eyebrow.   
  
"Do I even want to know?" She asked and Mel smiled then nodded.  
  
"That's who you should bring with you." Mel said then went back to eating her dinner, steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, and mixed vegetables.  
  
"Not a bad idea. Wait how did you know?" Becky asked and the others just quietly listened in.  
  
"Read over your shoulder when you first got the letter. Well couldn't read all of it so I took a picture. See." Mel said holding up a Polaroid to show Becky.  
  
"Oh. 'We are no longer the knights who say "Ni". We are now the knights who say 'Ekky-Ekky-Ekky-ba-clang-zoo-boing-rahhrrarr'!'" Becky said then went back to her dinner.   
  
"Don't you just hate when things get stuck in your head?" Mel said then nodded. "It does get very annoying especially when it is some annoying song."   
  
"Mel your insane." Sam said bluntly shaking her head at her friend.   
  
"Well no one but Mel wants to have a conversation with Mel so Mel will talk with Mel for the time being. Isn't that right Mel? Yes it is." Mel said then nodded and went back to eating.   
  
"She's answering her own questions." Lee said with a big anime sweat drop.   
  
"Don't mind the insane one." Sam said to the others.   
  
"Idiot." Mel muttered and Sam turned to her.   
  
"What did you say?" She asked as if she was angry.   
  
"You're very no smart and immature." Mel said making Tay and Nat smile.   
  
"Why thank, wait. HEY!!" Sam yelled and leaned forward to whack Mel over the head. Mel smirked and before anyone knew, Sam had Mel's plate stuck to her face thanks to the plethora of mashed potatoes that were on the plate. Mel sat there holding her sides laughing her head off.   
  
"Gee Sam I didn't know you liked mashed potatoes so much." Becky said laughing slightly.   
  
"Shut up." Sam muttered slowly peeling off the plate. This caused Becky to laugh hysterically also holding her aching sides. Sam stood up abruptly and left, once Mel finally calmed down she shook her head.   
  
"You have to apologies to her." Tay said and Mel looked at her with big puppy eyes.   
  
"NO! Anything but that, please, I'll be good." Mel begged tears coming to her eyes but not falling. "I'll clean the house from top to bottom. PLEASE, I don't want to. Don't torture me like that. I want to keep my life Tenchi, please don't make me do it."   
  
Bummer sat there watching Mel with a smile before he began to chuckle. "I get it, she's one of those kinds of friends." He said and most of the group turned to him.   
  
"BEATRICE SHUT UP!" Mel snapped a little louder then she expected to be. It made most of the people not paying attention to jump.   
  
"What do you mean?" Ray asked with slight curiosity.   
  
"Sam. She's the kind of friend that thinks of you as a brother or sister if she thinks you're her best friend. Which also means if she feels like it she'll give you a hug." Dan said and got a glass of cranberry juice thrown at him for his efforts.   
  
"Shut up STUPID Debbie." Mel whispered glaring at her cousin who now had a beautiful stain on his white shirt.   
  
"To bad it wasn't red wine." Nat mused and Becky looked at her.   
  
"I agree." Becky said with a nod. Meanwhile Mel and her cousins had gotten into a verbal fight, which also meant they were jumping from language to language.   
  
"Tú es loco, y tonto." Mel muttered finally looking at Dan with a glare.   
  
"What was that?" Louie asked look up having not paid attention.   
  
"She just called Dan crazy and stupid." Bummer said and sighed.   
  
"Is that the best you could come up with?" Becky asked.  
  
"Is it me or do you always fight with each other?" Tyson asked and that caused the cousins, Mel, and Becky to sigh.   
  
"You'd think someone hit him with a stupid stick when he was younger." Bega muttered sitting down.   
  
"Probably lack of formal education." Mel said with a shrug.   
  
"Or maybe to much formal education that he now tunes out all logical thought." Bummer put in and the others nodded.   
  
"Well, bye got to go." Mel said really quickly then left.   
  
"Wait, I know she was supposed to do something." Bega said trying to think. "Oh well, I'll just have to ask her when I see her again."   
  
"What's today's date?" Bummer asked with a thoughtful look. They all had finished their dinners by then.   
  
"July second, why?" Louie answered and Bummer looked shocked.   
  
"Only two more days." He muttered and the cousins thought then nodded. After that they just got up and left.   
  
"Two more days until what?" Mariah asked looking at their backs but they didn't answer.   
  
"Well let's see, in two days it's the fourth. Our independence day but I have a feeling they mean something different." Nat answered with a slightly thoughtful look.   
  
"We'll just have to wait and see then." Emily said the others nodded and left.   
  
And cut, I have gotten slight writers block oh well here is an upydate though. Don't be made if it's short, as I said I'm working with a slight writer's block and my mouse doesn't like me. 


	21. Funny stuff and Mel gets emotional

Latter that night Mel was walking down the hallway when she saw Kai leaning on the wall next to her bedroom door. "Uh? What's up?" She asked going to the other side of the hall and leaning on the wall.   
  
"What's happening in two days?" He asked looking at her with that captain look. She just seemed to blink an innocent gleam into her eyes.  
  
"What ever do you mean?" She asked in a slightly childish voice.  
  
"Your cousins inferred something was happening in two days what is it?" He asked sternly and she sighed looking at him like she was a five year old caught for breaking a rule.  
  
"I have this strict white suit, black tie party I have to go to." She said with a grumble before crossing her arms and slouching a little.   
  
"White suit?" He raised an eyebrow at her and she blinked then smirked.   
  
"Navy officers, they wear white suits or at least the commanders and general people do. I was never one to pay strict attention to their ranks. Well anyway it's the Fourth of July Party, a once every year advent. It's were, a bunch of high-class officers bring their wives and dance the night away at a base. You know celebrate independence and all. Well I have nothing against the officers it's just the damn party that I don't like. Speaking of which, I have to bring a friend and Becky going out of town, Nat and Sam going to visit their folks, and Tay having to stay here to make sure her house is still standing; I guess I have to get one of my cousins to go. Oh joy, a whole evening in the company of the lawbreakers. Why must I go through such torture?" She said putting her head in on of her hands.   
  
"Do you have to bring one of you cousins?" He asked with a raised eyebrow and she looked up at him.   
  
"Uh, no. Well I could bring anyone I guess but I doubt anyone would want to go. I mean it's from five at night to around ten; I have to stay there the whole party. I don't see why since my father is out of the service. I guess being popular with the bigwigs, means that your family still gets invited and is expected to show." She said with a shrug then a smirk slowly crept on her face. "Hey, you doing anything two days from now?"   
  
"No." He said looking at her cautiously.   
  
"Good, wear a tux and be ready at five. If anyone asks don't answer them, not even Nat, Sam, or Tay knows about these events. Thanks." She said patting him on the arm before going into her room and locking the door. He stood there in the hallway for a minute before growling. He left wondering how he got stuck going with her to a black tie party.   
  
Becky stood there with a mile wide smile. "So they're going out on a date, how sweet." She said with a slight laugh to her voice. She walked down the halls until she ran smack into Bryan but before she fell over he caught her by the shoulders and steadied her. "Oh, hey. I was actually looking for you. Can you spare a moment?" She asked and he nodded. They began to walk down the halls since the others were ether asleep, getting ready for bed, in the library, or in the green house. This was pretty much the routine for quiet a while. "I was wondering; what are you doing in two days?"  
  
"Nothing." He said and she smiled, her man of few words.   
  
"Wanna go to Boston with me? I have to go there for a tournament, but I'm staying a few days afterwards, you know just to get away." She said he looked at her somewhat shocked.   
  
"Sure." He said and she jumped giving him a big hug and a peck on the cheek.   
  
"Thanks." She said then opened the door to a family room spotting Bega. He was coming at them obviously to leave the room. "Honey." She said and nearly knocked him over giving him a hug. He looked really surprised and had to wrap his arms around her waist to steady the both of them.   
  
"Yea?" He asked knowing she was only playing but he didn't mind at all. Mel had always called him a playa.   
  
"Tomorrow can you go into town and get me some stuff from the store?" She asked as Tala glared at Bega's head and Bryan growled a little at the two's interactions.   
  
"Sure, just give me the list tomorrow before I go. I have to pick something up at the store anyway." He said giving her a hug before leaving. Becky just saw the glares that Bryan and Tala exchanged before Tala left Bryan close on his heels.   
  
"Did I miss something?" She asked no one before sighing and shaking her head. She left to get ready for bed since it was late. In the morning she'd confront the two, preferably at different times, and ask what that was about.   
  
The morning was slightly bleak and there was a small tension in the air as they all ate breakfast. "So you're leaving soon?" Mel asked after she yawned. She was talking with Louie who nodded. "Aw, Lulu why can't you stay a while?"   
  
"Well mom called asking if we were there, Uncle Bo-bar died from cancer. You should come up sometime, she misses you." Louie said with a concern tone in his voice.   
  
"I'm sure she's not the only one that misses me. Naw, I can't go up there I'm busy as it is. Maybe someday you'll see me walking the Stretch on my way to Mission Hill." She said as the others ate and had their own conversations.   
  
"What are you so afraid of?" Dan asked looking at his younger cousin who seemed to stubbornly refuse to go back to "home". However since they were speaking in Native American it was useless for the others to try and eavesdrop.   
  
"Her." Was all that Mel muttered before yawning and standing up. She smiled and looked at the others remembering to speak in English, "Well I'll be around." She left remembering to bring her empty plate to the kitchen. She had other things she had to worry about, though Bo-Bar was one of her closest uncles. She wouldn't cry, she learned a long time ago that crying for the dead didn't do you any good.  
  
Becky smiled as she walked down the hall. She was going to track down Bega to see if he had gotten the list of items she asked him to get for her. She turned the corner and there he was talking with Bryan and Tala. "Honey." She said rushing up and wrapping her arms around his neck from behind. "Did you get what I asked you to get?"  
  
"Of course." He said trying to look at her but it was a failure. "Why did you want toothpaste, a toothbrush, and all that other stuff anyway?"  
  
"Oh, going on a trip however I'm bringing one of my friends and you can't come sorry." She said letting him go so he could turn around and talk to her.  
  
"Why?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Cause Honey, I already asked this other friend. You know I'd take you if I could, but I can't or I'm dead twice. Now, you're the best!" She answered with a smile giving him another hug.  
  
"Why dead twice?" He asked holding her; he had a very calculated look on his face as if he was thinking. (A/N: Mel: He's thinking, RUN AWAY!)  
  
"Once, your favorite cousin, don't think she'd approve. Twice, my friend, they wouldn't approve either. Besides, I don't think our audience approves either." She said with a small glint in her eye that he didn't recognize.   
  
"Why? Who's your friend?" Bega asked trying to place where the glint came from.   
  
"Can't tell. But you'll find out soon enough anyways." She said with a sugar sweet smile. "Oh, Bryan I was looking for you as well." The Russian seemed to glare past her at Bega. "Come on." She said grapping his arm and dragging him off down the hallway.   
  
"What now?" He grumbled and she let go of him and sent him a glare.   
  
"Wondering if you still want to go. I mean I could bring Tala or Bega." She said with a shrug.   
  
"No." He growled angry at the thought of either of them being alone with her.   
  
"I thought so. Well come on I have to tell you what you need to bring and the schedule." She said tugging towards her room.   
  
~Meanwhile~(Little batman flip-y thingy)   
  
"MEL!"   
  
"SHUT UP!" Mel muttered into the pillow before falling off the couch. Sam was catching onto the fact that something was going to happen tomorrow when she left and she wanted to know what. "Leave me alone."   
  
"Get up." Sam snapped sitting down on the armchair next to the couch. "We have to talk."   
  
"We no gotta talk 'bout any thing." Mel muttered burring herself more into the fluffy carpet of one of the many "living rooms" that could be found in the house.   
  
"YES WE DO! YOU'RE GOING SOMEWHERE TOMORROW AND YOU'RE NOT TELLING ME! WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?" Sam yelled glaring at Mel, the other occupants of the room (Tyson, Enrique, Lee, Johnny, Michel and Kevin) flinched at the screech in Sam's voice.  
  
"Nothing." Mel said then sat up. "Can't take a nap anywhere in the house. I just want some sleep. Is that too much to ask? I swear I live in a constant hell." She muttered standing up and walking off.   
  
"MELINDA!" Sam shouted before Mel slammed the door causing the wood frame to shutter with the force. Mel walked down the hall and out to the gardens. She sighed and looked around the vast space of plant life and started down a path. In no time she went into the labyrinth that was just as confusing as the house was sometimes. She ran a hand through her hair before taking off her hair tie and allowing the braid to unravel. She went over to a large bolder that was on a hill in the middle of a daisy garden. She sighed and smiled as the wind blew through her hair. The soft whisper calmed her nerves; she didn't like it when she got mad or stressed. With another sigh she sat down on the rock; her hair was a cape. Sitting there her thoughts turned to three special people to her, her family.   
  
"It feels so odd mom. Smiling all day after so long, I can't believe that I finally accepted the inevitable. Just goes to show how naïve I had been the first year without you." She said to the wind as it whispered to her more. "Yea I know it was foolish of me to drowned like that for so long. Now I have gotten over it yet I still feel sad, going to this advent without you and dad. Hell I even miss sis, when did I become so lonely?" She asked her voice breaking a little. "When she got custody of me, I thought I lost everything. I wanted to be with you so much, I remember going to Mission Hill and lying down next to you. I never cried, I'll never cry. Not for me anyway." She said fighting her tears. She clutched her fist with her other hand and looked down. The pain of her nails digging into her skin distracted her from the pain that was building up inside her. The pain, that only came with being hurt emotionally. She gritted her teeth and looked at the sky. "I want to go home but she'll be there. Waiting for my return, I hate it. I hate her; I disdain her. Hell, I wish she were dead. The old hag, why did she do it? Why did she take you away from me? WHY DID I LET HER?" She practically yelled before ramming her fist into the bolder. She closed her eyes in an attempt to stop the tears of rage that were falling from her eyes without sobs. "Why did you have to go?" She muttered before falling to her knees having slipped off the bolder. She held herself fighting the inner battle of breaking something, crying, or laughing at her self. She was in an emotional hurricane and the only solid thought she had was the fact that she hated the woman that was waiting for her return. "You loved me, that's why." She said answering her own question. "You and dad and sis, you all loved me. She hated it; she hated you loving me. She hated you for giving me emotions, for allowing me to see things in a happy light. She hated you for being my parents and sister." She continued feeling so small. That's when she felt cold, so she started to shake tears of rage still falling.   
  
"Are you okay?" Someone asked and she looked up to find Kai standing there. She hissed a little before looking back at the ground. "Cold." She muttered leaning against the bolder. She had the faint taste of blood from the small cut on her tongue when she had bit it at one point in her emotional outburst. She watched him through her bangs as he walked over and sat down next to her.   
  
"What happened?" He asked having heard her ranting. He had been napping under a tree nearby when he had seen her sitting on the bolder.   
  
"Nothing." She said pulling her legs to her chest burying her head into them in an effort to hide.   
  
"You can't say nothing, you never cry." He said and she flinched.   
  
"I'm not perfect nor do I always smile. I have other emotions to you know." She said into the fabric of her jeans as she tried her best to shield her face and tears from him.  
  
"Whatever you say." He said then sighed he didn't know how to handle her but he did know not to get the other girls. "I'll leave you to your thoughts." He added before standing and leaving trying to figure out what had happened to put her in this state. He sighed again then shook his head. "Women are confusing." He concluded before going into the house for lunch.  
  
~*~  
  
NOTE: About my happy bubble (from Seducing Chairs Note) , I was accepted into an elite school where I will spend the next two years doing advanced work and taking classes at WPI my senior year. GO ME. Bye, definitely time to got to bed!!! 


	22. Random Insanity

The author lost the disk. So that's why there hasn't been an update recently. Stupid FF won't let me put in stars.

* * *

(A/N: The Spec is here so for her comments look for the S/N. Thank you for your time. Oh and for another persons comments that happen to appear in the story like Bega they will be addressed according to what we the living call them whether it be a pet name or a name in which we call them just for the pure pleasure of annoying them. Thank you for your time.) (S/N: Whoo hoo I have absolutely nothing to say. Isn't that the best? No I'm not writing this at 2 am, nor am I on anything, nor oh whatever. It's just that: Randomness is good. [EDIT: I have no idea what was going through my head while writing these notes. Please excuse my random insanity])   
  
"Thou puppy-headed beslubbering flax-wench!!!!" Becky yelled at Brian.  
  
"YOU DID NOT JUST CALL ME A WENCH!" He screamed while glaring at her. (S/N: SO not manly, I know)  
  
"Yes I did, now what of it?" She replied flatly walking up to stand just in front of him, making her look formidable.  
  
"Go away."  
  
"Me go away?!?!? You're standing in MY ROOM and you're telling me to leave? You're dumber than I thought."   
  
"It's not my fault you wanted to talk to me," He growled angrily at her.  
  
"All I was going to ask was WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU! But NO, you have to be all accusatory and crap."   
  
"What do you mean what's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?"  
  
"What's wrong with me??? I'm not the one giving angry glances to Bega, Tala, and me"  
  
(S/N: Glaring at your self is rather difficult, no? Especially with out the aide of a mirror. Now switching typers. Stupid keyboard) (A/N: HI!!!! Spec is being mad at my keyboard so I get to type YAY!! Well let's go back to the story shall we?)(S/N: Wait a sec. I am mad at the keyboard cause all the buttons are in the wrong places, I WANT MY LAPTOP keyboard back. You should see all the typos I'm making. Ok, I'm relinquishing the keyboard so stuff can happen that you'd be more interested in hearing.)(A/N: Okey dokey, lights camera action, I think.)   
  
"Well I'm not the one being a slut." He whispered looking away from her.  
  
"I'm being a slut? How many people here am I sleeping with? Lets count them; NONE!" She said with a slight laugh to her voice.  
  
"What's so funny?"  
  
"You're jealous, you're jealous." She started to sing turning in little circles around him.   
  
"I AM NOT!" He nearly shouted at her as he watched her have her fun.  
  
"Damn straight you are." She said stopping to stare him in the eye.  
  
"Why you." He growled glaring at her.  
  
"Why me what?" She asked somewhat innocently, he growled again before picking her off her feet and throwing her over his shoulder. "Domestic abuse!" She yelled, "In other news I guess I should be glad I'm not wearing a skirt."  
  
"I wouldn't mind." He muttered earning himself a whack on the head. "Ow. What was that for?"   
  
"Being chauvinistic," she said and thought for a second, "not to mention perverted."  
  
"Right I forgot that's your honey's job." He said before dropping her down on the couch she had in the room. (A/N: It's a very nice couch, big, fluffy, and green. I bet it eats a lot of loose change.) (S/N: GREEN! Now is it a spring green, jade green or forest green?) (A/N: Whatever mommy wants.) (S/N: Damn straight) (A/N: OH! The color of your imaginary couch!)  
  
"Well that's honey for ya." She said with a shrug as he sat down nearly getting eaten by the green blob as Mel calls it. (S/N: I've decided it's going to be a pale jade green.)  
  
"Is THAT all he's good for?" He asked with a small grunt trying not to go swimming in the greenness.  
  
"What you think he's the 'real man' between my legs? Well he kinda needs to grow a little but that's beside the point.." She said with a smile. (S/N: No worries Bega, how would I know, not that I want to know.) (A/N: Be happy, get down tonight, nun nana get down tonight.) (S/N: MEL! Can you say ew.) (A/N: Um? IQ?) (S/N: Die) (A/N: Okey dokey, but yea, ew. Sorry spent too much time with my cousins and all.) (S/N: Insert dreaded word Now let's continue)   
  
"Sure it is." He said looking away from her.  
  
"Who would ever want to sleep with him? Well besides the people that already do." She said with a shrug.  
  
"He's an idiot."  
  
"Precisely that's why you gotta love him, platonically of course." She said and he looked at her.  
  
"Of course." He drawled with a roll of his eyes.  
  
"You have no idea what I just said and you don't believe me, so just fuck off." She said slightly exasperated.  
  
"You have to love him theoretically because he's an idiot which I do believe." He said crossing his arms and sinking some more into the green abyss.  
  
(S/N: You can hear the coke in my stomach sloshing around when I bounce back and forth.) (A/N: No comments because it sounds wrong, hey are you on drugs?) (S/N: No you know I'm not, not anymore then you are.) (A/N: But I'm just drinking coca cola and you said coke and I'm not on drugs and oh. Back to story) (S/N: You spiked the coke????)  
  
"Not what I meant but it is what I said." She said in her defense. "I'm still waiting for you to fuck off."  
  
"Shall I do it here or in your bed?" He asked motioning towards the bed. (S/N: BEGA COMMENT!!! Now once I stop laughing must think of a witty response.)  
  
"I think Sam's taking a nap and she'd welcome your company more then I would." She said after a little sigh. (S/N: That was very weak and we are doing an awful lot of these notes are we? I blame the red dot.)  
  
"No I think I'd like your company more." He said hooking an arm around her waist.  
  
"Remind me why I care." She said shoving away from him only to have him nearly disappear into the green abyss. (S/N: We're having fun with the couch, can't ya tell?)  
  
"Well." He began and seemed to start thinking.  
  
"Well what?" she asked while swimming away from him in the pond of green.  
  
"You said to remind you why you care so far I've got a rather long list. Would you like to hear it?" He asked as she finally hit the arm of the couch almost falling over it.  
  
"So shoot." Hitting her self in the head for setting herself up. 'Why do I always do this?' she thought.  
  
"Okay." He said and started to list of a bunch of events. (A/N: I'm not going into them because I don't feel like it.) (S/N: And I thought she was going to go Bega on me) (A/N: No lost my train of thought) (S/N: Bull) (A/N: But mommy I did) (S/N: Bull, bull, bull, bull, bull, bull, bull, bull, you were just talking about all this crap you were going to type.) (A/N: That was before you started to talk about telephone calls, besides the reader is looking at us funny.) (S/N: Not my fault the telephone rang and I don't care if they're looking at us funny ((a classic example of Mel/Spec convo)))  
  
Meanwhile (Little batman flip-y thingy)  
  
"Where are those two?" Tay huffed slightly as she leaned against the wall. "They said that they were going to say at least good bye before they left."  
  
"Sorry for wasting your time." Nat muttered slightly snobbishly.  
  
"Finally you came, you'd think you'd come a little earlier then you said. You're never late, what's up with you?" Tay snapped seeing that Sam was nowhere to be found.  
  
"I had to talk with someone." Nat said a little unease.  
  
"Really who?" Tay asked now interested in why Nat (who was never late) was late. (S/N: I HATE being late, I really do! Don't know why, just do. I just made up a new word; Begafied) (A/N: For those who don't know Bega is the term we use to describe a person and pervertedness, Begafied is something that is completely and utterly perverted. Thank you for your time; come again to Becky and Mel's dictionary of randomness.)(S/N: Has become completely and utterly... Now that that's fixed, on with the story)  
  
"Um, Robert." She said in a small voice.  
  
"Oh." Tay said and was about to say something more when.  
  
"ENRIQUE!!" was heard throughout the halls in a whinny voice that made Tay and Nat cringe.  
  
"SHUT THE HELL UP!!" Came from both Mel and Becky's wings, this just made the two girls sigh.  
  
"Of course it's never quiet around here; this is Tay's house after all." Nat said with a dry smile. Just then Enrique came running up and hid behind Tay.  
  
"What are you doing?" Tay asked trying to look back at him without getting any closer then she already was to him.  
  
"Hiding," he said shaking slightly. "So hide me, hide me."  
  
"Oh quit your belly aching." Nat snapped at him glaring at the pair of blue eyes peering over Tay's shoulder.  
  
"Random insanity, random insanity." Becky sang as she walked up to them. "Seen Honey bunches of oats lately?"  
  
"Who?" The three asked.  
  
"Honey a.k.a. Bega." She said crossing her arms.  
  
"RUN AWAY!" Bega shouted running past them away from Mel's wing.  
  
"GET BACK HERE YOU BASTARD!" Mel yelled irritated.  
  
"THAT GOES DUBBLE FOR ME!" Becky shouted before following Mel and Bega.  
  
"Um, Becky was right that was random insanity." Enrique said now standing besides Tay.  
  
"I think there was a point to it but I'm not going to waste precious time trying to figure it out." Tay said rather casually.  
  
"ENRIQUE! There you are sweetie." Sam said and hugged Enrique with a vice grip.  
  
"Where's Becky?" Brian asked coming up.  
  
"Uh she's chasing after Bega. That way." Tay said pointing in the direction the three had gone. He took off to find Becky. As soon as Brian was out of sight Tala strolled up.  
  
"Brian, where?" He asked and Tay pointed off in the direction of the now four people.  
  
Once out of sight Kai came jogging up. "Have you seen Tala?"  
  
"Uh, that way, he's going after Brian whose going after Becky who is chasing Bega with Mel." Nat said and Kai nodded going off after Tala. Just then Johnny came up. "If you're looking for Kai he went that way." Nat said and he gave her a 'how did you know' look before taking off to find Kai.  
  
"Have you seen Johnny?" Louie asked and the three just pointed and he took off.  
  
"Is it me or is there a pattern here?" Enrique asked as Bega nearly ran into them.  
  
"Hey have you seen my brother?" He asked out of breath and Nat looked at him questioningly. "Little."  
  
"Oh, he's chasing after Johnny, who is chasing after Kai, who is chasing after Tala, who is chasing after Brian, who is chasing after Becky, who is chasing you with Mel." Nat answered and he nodded. "They went that way." She said pointing in the direction they had sent the others.  
  
"Thanks." He said and took off as Mel rounded the corner.  
  
"THERE HE IS!!" She yelled pointing to Bega and taking off, Becky a foot or two behind her. The three watched as the small line of people went by.  
  
"Um, very random." Tay said then shook her head.  
  
"Yea well I'll see you in two weeks. Have fun while I'm gone." Nat said before she and Sam went to catch their planes.  
  
"Uh do you want to see what the line is doing?" Enrique asked.  
  
"What line? You means something like the conga or the train?" Tay asked looked at him fighting back a laugh.  
  
"I don't think they're dancing." He said and Tay laughed before they walked off to find the 'line'. (S/N: The conga line was my idea! I was doing a one-person conga while she typed it. Just don't ask)  
  
They found the line running in the garden. Bega suddenly stopped to avoid a tree but this made Mel stop just behind him as well as Becky behind Mel and so on, until you came to Louie who ran into Johnny causing a domino effect. "MEL! Get off." Bega said the wind was knocked out of him.  
  
"Becky, get off!"  
  
"BRIAN OFF!"   
  
"Tala, get off!"   
  
"Kai, off!"  
  
"Johnny, get off!"  
  
"LOUIE, GET THE HELL OFF OF ME!"  
  
"Air, get off?"  
  
"LOUIE!!" The others yelled. Mel began to wiggle her way out of the mess kicking Bega about ten times in the process.  
  
"OW! OW! OW! MEL!" He yelled before she kicked him in the face. "GOD DAMMIT! That fucking hurt!"  
  
"Good." Becky said with a smile and began to punch him in the back.   
  
"LOUIE GET OFF NOW!" Bega yelled and Louie reluctantly followed his orders with a sigh.  
  
"WHAT, THE HELL, WERE YOU DOING?" Mel asked glaring up at Louie and tried to look him in the eyes at his height but unfortunately for her she was just too short.  
  
"You look like some kind of Pokemon." Louie said with a slight smile.  
  
"LULU!" Mel shouted and then tackled him to the ground punching him. Meanwhile Becky was still on Bega hitting him like there was no tomorrow.  
  
"BERTHA! GIVE HIM BACK NOW!" Becky yelled as her fists hit his back her ring digging deeper into his skin.  
  
"I would if you weren't on me." Bega shot back only to be hit in the head.  
  
"Okay you two." Bummer said coming out of nowhere and picking Mel up off of Louie. Dan went over and picked up Becky tossing her over his shoulder and caught Bega by the back of his shirt when he tried to flee.  
  
"Not again." Becky muttered from her perch.  
  
"What seems to be the problem?" He (dandy) asked and Mel had turned to trying to bite Bummer in the back since he had somehow grabbed onto her arms as she when she was thrown over his shoulder. Her feet where kicking the air but somehow missing every time. Becky just relaxed slightly but muttered curses involving sacks of potatoes.  
  
"Well let's see for some reason Mel and Becky were chasing after Bega." Tay began after straightening up from doubling over laughing.  
  
"HE STOLE HIM!" Becky shouted trying to look at Bega with a glare but it wasn't working too well.  
  
"Yes well after a while the others were looking for the person that was chasing the person who was chasing another person who was chasing, oh never mind." Enrique said not trying to comprehend what had happened.  
  
"Who he stole?" Mel asked now struggling to wiggle her way out of Bummer's grasp. "Beatrice, put me down." (S/N: My silly putty snake just bit Mel.) (A/N: It died)(S/N: WAHHHHHH!! Oh well, time for a silly putty thingy)  
  
"Mel shut up. Who did he steal from you?" Dan asked looking over his shoulder at Becky.   
  
"Debbie he stole him and he won't give him back. Now stop staring at my ass, or I'll have to slap yours."  
  
"I'm not now answer the question." He commanded.  
  
"But there's no question." She said.  
  
"HE STOLE IT! HE STOLE MY QUESTION!" Mel whined hitting her head against Bummer's back. Dan looked over to Mel who had now found an efficient way of getting Bummer's attention.  
  
"HE STOLE LT!" Becky said and Mel stopped before going back to what she was doing.  
  
"Who's LT?" Johnny asked now that they sorted out what they had been chasing each other for, well most of them anyway.  
  
"This is LT." Bega said holding up a blue shirted, small white teddy bear.  
  
"NOW GIVE HIM BACK!" Becky said rather loudly holding out her arms to grab the bear.  
  
"NO!" Bega said and got away from Dan to take off again.  
  
"Mel, fetch." Bummer said putting down Mel.  
  
"I'm NOT A DOG!" You could hear her yell before the sound of something hitting the ground on the other side of a hill was heard. They all went to the other side of the hill finding Mel sitting on Bega's back, arms crossed with a triumphed smirk on her face.   
  
"Good Mel." Bummer said patting Mel on the head only to be bitten. "Why you mutt."  
  
"I'm not a dog." Mel said glaring at him.  
  
"But you're acting like one." Becky commented and Mel held up LT. "YEA LT!" She yelled as she used Bega's back as a trampoline and Mel got off of him. All you could hear was "oof, oof, oof" from Bega since he didn't have time to tell her to get off.  
  
"Very good Mel, you make a great retriever." Bummer said Mel just huffed and kicked him in the shin.  
  
Stopping for a moment Becky looked down at her trampoline. "Just be glad I'm not wearing stilettos." She said with an evil grin.  
  
"OFF NOW! I'VE HAD ENOUGH WEIGHT ON MY SHOULDERS!" He yelled squirming to get out from underneath her as she began to jump again.  
  
"Becky don't you have to get ready for your flight tonight?" Tay asked making Becky stop.  
  
"Flight? OH YEA! Well sorry trampoline gotta run." She said before getting off of him. "But one last jump." She said jumping on him causing him to hit the ground before she took off.   
  
"Well I have to go." Mel said after loosing a verbal fight with her cousin. She went inside and to her wing going into a random room. Inside there was a large TV screen and a simple lonely Play Station 2.

* * *

Tay sighed, after the eventful afternoon. The random line, Tala, Bega and Brian getting into a verbal fight, Mel complaining about the power going out, Max and Tyson getting electrocuted, Ray having a bad hair day, Mariah nearly killing Emily, and Michel falling down the stairs, she had a reason to be tired. She sat there leisurely enjoying the few moments of peace. Dinner was going to be served soon and she couldn't wait, well for the food at least. Most of the people were edgy plus the added tension between Mel and her cousins. Things didn't look so bright. She sighed and leaned back in her chair, sitting in the study wasn't the best place for her but it was a whole lot better then what was going on outside the room. She could faintly hear Mel laughing about one of her cousins crashing their bike outside. That and Mariah and Ray have gotten a little to close for comfort, well for Mel and Tay's comfort. Lee said that it was inevitable but Mel complained that they should have waited a little while until making out in public. "I just hope Gary and Tyson don't have another eating contest." She muttered closing her eyes and sighing. Just then the phone rang. "Hello?"   
  
"Ah, Taylor my dear how have you been? Have the others been giving you trouble?" Mr. D's voice asked coming over the line.  
  
"I have been fine, things are a little stressing but then again they normally are. No the others have been great, no trouble at all." Despite the occasional fight or two, she added mentally.  
  
"Well that's great. I just called to see how they're doing."  
  
"Well Brian and Becky are going to Boston. Kai says he had plans tomorrow so does Mel. The rest of us however are going to a Fourth of July celebration, you know a fair, fireworks, and carnival rides. Well it lasts until around twelve at night."   
  
"I see, tell them I said happy Fourth of July and that they should enjoy themselves. I'll talk to you later. Bye."  
  
"Bye." Tay said as she hung up then sighed. She wondered slightly what it was that Kai and Mel could be doing but then again the two of them always seemed so secretive when it came to some things. There was a light knock on the door and Tay looked up. "Come in."  
  
"Ms. Tay dinner is ready." One of the cooks said and she nodded before shutting down her computer and heading out. When she entered the dinning room most of the others were already there, surprisingly Mel was even on time.  
  
"So Becky you're leaving tonight after dinner?" Mel asked regarding Tay with a normal causal glance that Tay welcomed happily. It was as if Mel didn't see the tension floating around the house.  
  
"Yep, we're leaving about an hour after dinner." Becky answered with a smile. "I can't wait to go to Boston, I love it. We might even get to catch a Red Sox game."  
  
"Red Sox?" Mel asked with a raised eyebrow. "You mean the baseball team?"  
  
"Idiot of coarse I mean the baseball team." Becky said hitting Mel in the arm. (S/N: IT'S MORE THAN JUST A BASEBALL TEAM! Football and baseball are a RELIGION! Who cares about the other sports? Btw, I was at the baseball game last night, and they WON! [5/22] Can I go back to bed?)   
  
"Well sorry for not liking sports. God you'd think I could go through a day with out getting hit or ran into or tripped over. Hell I wouldn't mind a few hours extra sleep but no, I have to wake up at three on mental command and get subjected to being the punching bag. Please someone say that they at least care a little tiny bit for Mel." Mel said throwing her hands into the air.  
  
"We care about you." Louie said which caused Mel to sigh in exasperation and roll her eyes. This caused most of them to laugh; Mel had her own way of cheering people up. (A/N: And now a comment from our beloved Bega (Or P/N).) (P/N: Did you know my bike got stolen the other day?) (A/N: Please save us his bike got stolen, well back to the story. Oh and for those who are wondering I'm talking to the idiot over the phone. Well back to what I was doing.)(S/N: Poor baby.)   
  
"So what's this about going to Boston?" Lee asked obviously lost like most of the other people that hadn't caught on to who Becky was.  
  
"Well I go to charity championships, being an ex-world champion. They ask if I can attend and if I can I'll go but I had, well not really, to attend this one. However I don't want to miss going to Boston, it's in my home state after all." Becky said with a smile.   
  
"I can't remember exactly where I'm from." Mel muttered then sighed.  
  
"My home state if you could call it that would have to be Arizona. It's nice there." Tay mussed with a slight smile. "So Mel what are you doing tomorrow?"  
  
"Stuff." Mel muttered getting a glare from Becky. "I didn't really steal your line so stop glaring. And if you really want to know I'm going to visit with some of my other friends." (A/N: I found it! The disk had gone missing for a little while and now has been found. After about a week of calling out its name I've finally gotten a response. It was hiding under my desk way back there behind a leg of the desk out of my view. Funny how much you can find when you actually clean your room.)  
  
"Okay, so you'll be gone all day?" Tay asked and Mel pretended not to hear her.  
  
"We'll be living in five days." The cousins announced getting a happy sigh from Mel.  
  
"NO! You're not allowed to live! Don't ya mean leaving? Well if you did, that's good, I don't think I could take anymore of you idiocy." Becky said with a smile. Tay looked at the others who had similar expressions of happiness. Mel leaned back and seemed to be in a slightly deep thought before nodding a little as if considering something.   
  
"I think I'll come with you for a week or two." She said causing the cousins' mouths to drop in shock.  
  
"You actually want to go back? Are you okay?" Louie asked blinking a little. "Oh right that event is coming up. I should have known you'd have to make an appearance."  
  
"Of course, after all they do want to know how I've been and all." Mel said as the others were really lost, even Becky and Tay. "But only for a week or two. If I stay any longer I might get killed or something."   
  
"We know." Dan said dryly with a roll of his eyes. After all they were half the reason why she would nearly get killed.  
  
"So it's settled, you stay a week at Dan's." Bummer said and Dan looked at him.  
  
"I didn't agree to it." Dan said with a glare.  
  
"I think I might just get a hotel room." Mel mussed then stood up. "Well I'm going to get some sleep. Night." She said leaving, a few minutes latter the cousins also left so any questioning was thrown out of the window.  
  
"Well I have a plane to catch. Bye." Becky said as she and the demolition boys left the table. Soon everyone was either gone or asleep, that was except for Mel. She climbed out of her window and went to the bolder in the garden using a jar full of fireflies she had caught. She sat there looking out at the darkened field thinking about her past, her family, and her possible future.   
  
"You still haven't answered my question." A voice said jolting her out of her thoughts. She looked over to Kai who was standing there, arms crossed watching her.  
  
"What question was that?" She asked as he came up and sat down next to her.  
  
"What happened?" He asked and she sighed brushing her loose hair out of her face.  
  
"To my family?" She asked getting a nod. "Well it's a long story."  
  
"I'll listen." He stated somewhat arrogantly and she smirked.  
  
"It all started when I was about five or six I can't really remember." She began looking up to the sky and he listened but relaxed a little.

* * *

"So you'll be gone until twelve?" Mel asked with a bright smile as she saw the group at the door.  
  
"Yes, Kai has already left to somewhere. I had given him a key; remember to lock the door when you leave. The staff has been dismissed for the day." Tay said and Mel gave her a military salute.  
  
"Have a great time." She said before walking back to her room. It was only one in the afternoon but she took long showers when she had to make sure she thoroughly washed her hair and got ready for big events. After taking her shower it was around three, which meant she had enough time to play with her hair. When she finished she looked at herself in the mirror with a smile looking at the simple black dress and up-do. It wasn't fancy but fit her, that and it wouldn't draw much attention to her. She grabbed the invitations and her shoes not really like having to wear high-heels. She went down to the main sitting room to find Kai sitting there ready to go. "Well, hello." She said with a smile handing him the invitations.  
  
"You're looking good." He simply said looking at her a little before looking at the invitations.   
  
"That's a Bega line." She said with a smirk but soon frowned. "I don't wanna wear my shoes." She huffed and before she knew it she was in his arms. He held her like a bride and she had to wrap her arms around his neck, she still held her shoes. She saw the invitations in his pocket so she knew they had them.  
  
"Than I'll carry you." He said and started for the door.  
  
"You know I should hit you, but I don't really hit friends." She said with a dry smile before they both began to laugh a little. He set her down in the car before getting in himself; they had a good thirty-minute ride to where the party was being held so she could relax before putting on her shoes. "I wonder what the others would think if they found out that we were going to this together."   
  
"I don't know but I'd hate to hear Sam's comment." He said and Mel laughed.  
  
"You don't like her either? I don't necessarily like her but she's useful in some ways, as an excuse to stay away from the reservation and my extended family." Mel said getting him to chuckle.  
  
Meanwhile(Little batman flip-y thingy)  
  
"We're here." Becky said happily as they arrived in the airport. "Come on we should go to the hotel first." She said lightly tugging on Brian's shirtsleeve. They got their things and went to their really nice hotel. Once they got checked in and their things were sent to their room Becky turned around and found someone she knew. "ERIC?!" 


End file.
